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Setting cell phone expectations early is key to accessing the learning potential of these devices and minimizing the distraction factor.

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Ten is now the average age when children receive their first cell phones, and those phones quickly find their way into classrooms. While cell phones have extraordinary potential for leveraging learning, they can quickly become a hindrance in the classroom, diverting attention away from learning. How can teachers harness the learning potential of students' phones while also keeping them from being a distraction?

I have learned that rather than trying to be reactive, the best defense when it comes to cell phones is a well-planned offense. Teachers who implement a proactive management plan developed in collaboration with the students at the beginning of the school year may have fewer issues as student cell phone ownership increases throughout the year.

The first few weeks of the school year often focus on creating classroom routines, and thus are a perfect time to set up cell phone expectations. Teachers can help their students develop a positive mobile mental health in the first weeks of school by discussing their ideas on cell phone use, setting up a stoplight management system, and establishing a class contract.

Opening the Conversation

Part of teaching digital citizenship is knowing where your students are in their understanding of privacy, safety, etiquette, identity, empathy, and security online. Build a digital citizenship curriculum that includes mobile device use. Talk to your students about their cell phone use (and share your own experiences). You may be surprised at how little they have these conversations with adults.

What do you like to do on your cell phone and why? (If they don't have one, what would they like to do?)

What are the most popular apps and websites you use?

What do you think are inappropriate ways that cell phones have been used?

What is poor cell phone etiquette? Why?

How can cell phones help you learn?

How can cell phones distract from your learning?

How do you feel about your cell phone and the activities you do on your phone?

What should teachers know about your cell phone use that you worry we do not understand?

Do you know how to use your cell phone to gather information, to collaborate on academic projects, to evaluate websites?

How can we work together to create a positive mobile mental health?

Before assuming you understand why, how, and when students interact with cell phones, find out from them. Ask your students questions such as:

Using a Stoplight Management Approach

The stoplight management approach allows teachers some flexibility to use cell phones when the situation warrants, but also to keep cell phones from becoming a diversion from the learning. This is how it works:

Post a red button on the classroom door: Students know when they enter that cell phones should be put in their off location. The devices will not be used that day. The teacher should decide on the off location-the upper right-hand corner of the desk and turned face down, or away in backpacks, or in pocket holders on the teacher's desk- the cell phone parking lot.

Post a yellow button on the classroom door: Students know their cell phones should be on silent (vibrate) and placed face down in the upper right-hand corner of their desk. They will be using them in class, but not the whole time. Having the phones in plain sight-a bit out of reach and turned over-allows the teacher to easily scan the room to see who doesn't have their device where it should be. It also makes it difficult for students to quickly peek at their text messages because they'd have to turn the phone over and move it from its correct position-which is more difficult than when cell phones are hidden under desks.

Post a green button on the classroom door: Students know they should have their phones turned on (either silenced or set on vibrate) and placed face up in ready position to use throughout the class.

Establishing a Class Contract

Ask your students to help you develop social norms for what is and is not appropriate cell phone use during green and yellow button times. Should they be allowed to go on their social media networks during class? Why or why not? Talk to them about what to do with their devices in different social scenarios in the classroom. Ask them to brainstorm consequences and write them into a class contract. Send the contract home for parents to read and sign with their children, so everyone is on the same page. After a couple of months, revisit the contract with your students to see if any amendments are needed.

If you take the time in the first week of school to establish a management system and a social contract and to open up dialogue about student cell phone use, expectations are clear. As more cell phones enter the classroom throughout the year, the students immediately know where to place them and when and how they can use them. In addition, the community is focused on a safe, healthy use of cell phones, rather than being distracted by them.

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Setting cell phone expectations early is key to accessing the learning potential of these devices and minimizing the distraction factor.

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Hi, friends! Today's post and podcast comes from a reader email about a situation I'm guessing most of us can relate to: how to cultivate digital mindfulness, spend less time on social media, and more time on happy-making things that matter. I'll share this reader's email, then offer a few suggestions I've found helpful for cultivating more digital mindfulness (full disclosure: this is very much a work in progress for me).

This ended up becoming a mammoth post, so I've split it in two. In this post, I'm sharing some of the emotion-focused aspects of this issue. Throughout the week, I'll also be sharing practical tips I've found helpful for being more mindful online on Patreon. This part will be available for patrons only and you can access it by becoming a supporter of Becoming Who You Are for just $1+ a month. Your support helps me keep this site running. To say thank you, I'm also offering supporters bonus podcasts, extra content, access to all BWYA books and courses, coaching, and more.

"There's one challenge I'm struggling with which is letting my email inbox and social media feeds run my life and swallow up my free time. I know you can't wave a magic wand but I wonder if you had any ideas, for example about putting boundaries around screen-time, or prioritising all the happy-making stuff which I keep running out of time for like spending time in nature and connecting with friends. I've very recently heard about Time Well Spent (http://www.timewellspent.io) which has helped me recognise how much this behaviour is costing me and how it's become hardwired into my daily habits."

Thanks for your question, I hear you on this one. As someone who works online, I understand all too well the benefits and the potential pitfalls of technology and our digital habits. While our digital lives bring us connection, pleasure, and opportunities we wouldn't otherwise have, they can also be a source of concern, regret, frustration, and self-recrimination-not to mention a big old time sink.

A phrase that stood out in your message was "letting email and social media feeds run my life and swallow up my free time." It sounds like you feel like your digital life controls you, not the other way around. This leaves me wondering if social media and email have become ways of meeting your needs that have taken on a life of their own and become habits that doesn't serve you.

I consider technology to be in the same camp as something like food. They are both necessary for participation in our modern world (or, with food, survival in any world). But our use of them can slip across the line from "pleasurable" into "emotional crutch" without us being aware. This is why cultivating digital mindfulness is crucial. Like all habits, those that revolve around our digital lives follow three steps:

Trigger -> Action -> Reward

Here, the trigger is some kind of feeling or experience. The action is social media and email (over)use. The reward (in the short-term, anyway) is a sense of comfort and familiarity, either through numbing out or through trying to pursue a desired feeling. Noticing and understanding each of these steps is the key to changing them, so let's look at them in more detail.

Trigger, Action, Reward

I've noticed there are two underlying motivations behind my lack of digital mindfulness: avoiding feelings and pursuing feelings. These are the triggers, the things that spark the habitual behaviour of checking email, clicking over to Facebook, or mindlessly scrolling through whatever I'm looking at.

It's hard to sit with ourselves without distraction. When we get home and aren't sure what to do next, reaching for our phone, checking our email, etc. becomes a way of not having to deal with our own company. Why do we avoid spending time with ourselves? I think it's partly to do with what might come up if we did: our fears, our current dissatisfactions, our worries and anxieties, our joys and gratitudes. All these things are uncomfortable to sit with in their own way. The more challenging experiences are uncomfortable for obvious reasons, but within joy and gratitude lies a sense of vulnerability too.

I don't think the answer to this is to plan out our time with a rigid schedule. Instead, I've found it helpful to get curious about what and why I might be avoiding. For me, it's often the feeling I need to be doing more. Sitting still and simply being isn't "productive" enough. Reaching for my phone gives me the illusion I'm doing something productive because I'm at least doing something (even though I know the opposite is true). Rather than distracting ourselves, we benefit in the long term if we can sit with our moment-to-moment experience, whatever that looks like.

An acronym I find helpful to remember is HALT: stop what I'm doing and ask: am I hungry, angry, lonely, or tired? And, if not, what discomfort am I feeling? Turning to our devices or scrolling through Facebook might feel like it's numbing those feelings in the short term, but it's only covering them up. Because we're not addressing the actual need (i.e. being hungry, angry, lonely, tired, or whatever else we're feeling), that need is still there. Distracting ourselves is likely to only leave us feeling worse.

Identifying the needs behind our actions

Pursuing feelings and needs is the second motivation behind my digital habits. I want to feel connected to people, so I log on to Facebook to see if I have any notifications and to check out what other people are up to. I want to feel valued and needed and seeing new emails in my inbox provides a short-term ego hit.

While Facebook can be a source of connection, scanning for new notifications and lurking rather than engaging doesn't give us that (in fact, according to t hi s study, it's terrible for our mental health). Moreover, there are a million better ways I can reassure myself about my place in this world than checking my inbox. Once we've identified what needs we're pursuing through our digital distractions, we want to respond to our needs in a way that will fulfil them. This involves identifying activities that, for example, meet our need for connection (calling up a friend, impromptu coffee date, reaching out to someone we haven't seen for a while, etc.)

One of my favourite resources for identifying needs is the Needs Inventory from the Centre for Non-Violent Communication. If you're struggling to identify what you're needing, use this list to hone in on the words that resonate and describe your experience.

This is the first, and most important step, to identify the trigger -> action -> reward cycle. What is happening when we turn to our devices? What are we feeling? What thoughts are happening? In which situations are we most likely to engage in mindless consumption? Once we've identified these things, we can move on to changing the different parts of this pattern to things that are more satisfying.

Changing the habit and creating digital mindfulness

Changing our level of digital mindfulness requires changing the way we respond to discomfort. Rather than feeling some kind of unidentifiable restlessness and turning to our phones, we want to change our response to one of questioning and awareness: what's this restlessness about? How am I feeling right now? What am I hoping to gain from doing this? What need am I trying to meet? Turning our attention away from distractions and coping mechanisms and focusing on our core needs is something I talk about more in my book, From Coping to Thriving.

If, like the reader who emailed, you have a list of "happy-making" activities that are getting pushed back by their digital life, make a list of these and what needs each activity meets. If you don't have this list, create one (you can download a free worksheet for this at the bottom of this post). Think about how you'd like to spend your time if you weren't getting bogged down in email and social media. Put this list somewhere you can see it. Next time you notice you're slipping into/have slipped into the digital habit default behaviour, stop, get clear on what you're needing, and choose a happy-making activity that meets that need instead.

This process is simple, but it takes effort-especially if the habit is ingrained. The good news is there are simple hacks and changes we can use to make this shift much easier for ourselves. Next week, I'll share some of the practical changes I've made that have helped me deepen my digital mindfulness.
What have you found helpful for cultivating more digital mindfulness in a connected world? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

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Coach, author and CEO (Chief Emotions Officer) of Becoming Who You Are. I'm an advocate of rational personal development, self-expression and the freedom to be who we truly are.

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How to Practise Digital Mindfulness and Focus on What Matters - Becoming Who You Are

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Hi, friends! Today's post and podcast comes from a reader email about a situation I'm guessing most of us can relate to: how to cultivate digital mindfulness, spend less time on social media, and more time on happy-making things that matter.

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When kids make their first trip out to a store on their own, parents are clear about the benefits of the burgeoning independence and also the important guidelines: stop at the corner, wait for the light, don't talk to strangers on the sidewalk, ask a store clerk for help.

Young teens need the same kind of parental guidance as they take their first independent steps out onto the Internet.

Just as they are naïve about how the world works, research by danah boyd says that most teens-contrary to popular belief-are also naïve about the Internet. Many youth don't realize that Google searches can be biased or that advertisers blur the lines between ads, content, entertainment, and social media. To make matters more difficult, the brain undergoes a tremendous remodeling project in early adolescence, ages 12-15. Teens experience huge neurological and psychological changes to prepare for the coming independence of adulthood.

This combination of technological change and normal adolescent development creates a huge challenge for today's parents-there was no Instagram when the people raising today's teens were in high school. Though there is no one-size-fits-all approach to guiding teens' technology use, understanding these tectonic changes can help parents better guide their young teens in the wise use of technology. Here are five research-based tips.

1. Support teens' social lives online and off

Teens are absorbed by their social lives-it's one way nature nudges them out of the nest. As teens begin to individuate from their parents, peers become much more important. And these days, meeting friends often means hanging out on social media.

Far from being time-wasters, social media actually fill an important need. By tagging friends, commenting on posts, and uploading photos, teens extend the pleasure of offline relationships. According to danah boyd, social media is especially important, since over-scheduling, limited mobility, greater distances between friends, and fewer public spaces for teens have made hanging out in person more difficult.

Teens generally handle online relationships well, managing both their privacy and reputations effectively. Most know that sexting-the posting of nude or highly suggestive pictures online-is off-limits. And with its many resources and communities, the Internet can help teens develop their identities.

Still, changes in the brain in early adolescence make young teens uniquely sensitive to, and stressed by, their social world. Compared with adults and children, teens are more stressed while performing a task when they think they're being watched. Among peers, they can make riskier decisions. They are more sensitive to exclusion, showing a greater drop in mood and a spike in anxiety than adults when feeling left out.

Not surprisingly, young teens are also emotionally sensitive, experiencing higher emotional highs and lower lows overall. Combine these traits with the visibility, scalability, and permanent trace of the Internet, and you have a potential perfect storm.

Parents can help guide teens' online social experiences in a number of ways:

Discuss and model healthy relationship skills. Empathy, perspective-taking, and conversation skills learned offline will show up online.

Remind teens about the "performative" aspect of social media, which can explain why people often appear happier on Facebook than they really are.

Remind them that "friends" from different parts of their lives can all see the same messages on social media, a phenomenon boyd calls context collapse.

Acknowledge that teens are starting to deal with sexual feelings. Stay in conversation with them to help them express this side of themselves in healthy ways.

Encourage a variety of in-person, real-life relationships. How to negotiate with others face-to-face, interact with people of different power levels, and resolve conflict are among the many interpersonal skills necessary in adult life.

Invite your teens' friends to gather at your house or drive your teen to their friends' homes, so you can get to know teens' friends and their parents. Your teens will feel supported and these networks will come in handy.

Talk with your teen about taking a "meta-moment" (see item three below) to prevent blunders. Teens will make unfortunate mistakes, but these days a thoughtless remark can be visible to hundreds of others and leave a permanent record.

Whether late at night, in the car, or while doing the dishes, be available when teens are ready to talk about their social lives.

2. Balance breadth and focus in intellectual development

From the pencil to the satellite dish, every technological advance shapes young minds. How does the Internet do so? Unfortunately, research on that question is in its early stages, and expert opinions vary.

Many highly regarded scientists are concerned. UCSF's Adam Gazzaley believes that our brains didn't evolve for nonstop interactivity, while Stanford's Clifford Nass warns that multitasking has lingering cognitive costs. Some say heavy Internet use renders our thinking more superficial, less rigorous.

On the other hand, Harvard's Steven Pinker argues that the Internet makes us smarter, and technology scholar Cathy Davidson believes multitasking might be creating rich new cognitive maps. The Internet may enhance creativity in music and graphic arts, in particular.

Parents may find it easier to navigate these controversies with information about how brains develop.

Real-time play and real-life interactions are needed for children to explore, discover cause-and-effect, and lay the foundations of social skills, moral development, self-regulation, agency, and creativity. For this reason, I am wary of heavy Internet use in early childhood. It's better to expose children to a variety of activities.

By the early teen years, the brain begins to specialize. Unused neurons are pruned for more efficient processing, and the number of connections between them increases. Teen thought becomes more abstract and integrated and logical; creativity and competency increases. Whatever teens are doing-from vegging on the couch to building robots-can become more firmly established in their brains at this time.

So, for teens, I suggest supporting their focus on their emerging interests-including online interests-while still encouraging reflection, analysis, creativity, spaciousness, a quiet mind, and quickness. The more tools, the better.

3. Foster emotional and attentional self-awareness

Immaturity of the prefrontal cortex-the part of the brain most responsible for self-regulation and decision-making-can make it hard for teens to regulate their emotions and make good decisions. Peer influence, which can also impact good decision-making, is particularly potent between the ages of 12 and 14.

But teens can be taught emotional skills, like how to take a "meta-moment" - a pause between being triggered and responding-to delay decision-making in order to choose a better path. This is especially important on social media where an impulsive act can have a wide reach. They can also learn to check in with themselves to become more aware of whether or not hanging out on social media makes them feel connected and happy, or sad and excluded. They can then choose either to maintain the feeling or do something to change it.

Today's teens must also learn to focus and manage their attention. Technology expert Linda Stone points out that continuous partial attention, or paying a little bit of attention to a lot of stimuli, mimics an ongoing state of crisis-breathing becomes more shallow and the mind hyper-alert. In large doses this behavior can make people feel overwhelmed, overstimulated, and powerless.

Teens are also learning to manage their time-an ability that takes a dip at ages 12-14. Helping them set goals and screen out distractions will help them control their own attention, complete tasks while preserving their energy, and stay in more conscious control of their focus.

4. Prioritize offline connections

Young people need secure human relationships to anchor and guide them from infancy through adulthood. These interactions provide validation, information, structure, safety, love, and warmth.

Yet both young people and adults say family members spend too much time online at the expense of in-person connections. Emotions expert Barbara Fredrickson believes that in-person relationships affect our physiology differently than online relationships do, increasing our health and ability to connect with others. Kids of all ages say they want parents to turn off devices and tune in to them.

Likewise, most teens say they prefer face-to-face interactions. Though teens are trying to become autonomous, they also want to maintain close connections and to talk with their parents about things that really matter. They have been telling researchers so for decades.

Set limits on teens' technology use, emphasize real-life interaction-and practice what you preach. By checking your cell phone frequently, you may be role-modeling the very behavior you want teens to avoid.

5. Watch for trouble and intervene

How can you tell if your teen is struggling? By paying attention in real life and in cyberspace.

If you're lucky, your teen will bring problems to you. Or you may notice your teen "cry out" on the Internet, or see changes in their eating, sleeping, or social behavior. Yale psychologist Robin Stern suggests responding to your teen with empathy or a hug while you check in with yourself to manage your own anxiety and beliefs. Then use gentle prompts to allow your teen to express concerns and explore problem-solving together. Stern recommends watching for a good time to talk and beginning gently: "I noticed that you looked sad when you got offline." Conversation starters can be found here and here.

If you're still wondering if your teen is doing okay, I also recommend assessing these four areas:

Is their sense of self intact? Do they have good self-esteem? Can they express themselves? Do they get needs met appropriately?

Are their relationships intact? Kids vary, but everyone should have at least one friend. Can they talk to adults? Do they have other good relationships?

Are they doing reasonably well cognitively for their age? Do they have interests or hobbies?

Is there an absence of pathology, like obvious anxiety or depression?

Beyond that, enjoy your teen and find ways to connect that make you both happy. That's the glue in your relationship, and it will get you through the rough spots-both online and off.

Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

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Five Tips for Helping Teens Manage Technology

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When kids make their first trip out to a store on their own, parents are clear about the benefits of the burgeoning independence and also the important guidelines: stop at the corner, wait for the light, don't talk to strangers on the sidewalk, ask a store clerk for help.

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Link to Blog

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Watch and learn mindful movements and games for your classroom. (Adults love them too.) After a long day of sitting still in classes, help students get back in their bodies and ready to learn--and have a little fun.

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Mindfulness News, Resources, and Articles | Mindful Schools

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Watch and learn mindful movements and games for your classroom. (Adults love them too.) After a long day of sitting still in classes, help students get back in their bodies and ready to learn--and have a little fun.

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Digital classroom tools like computers, tablets and smartphones offer exciting opportunities to deepen learning through creativity, collaboration and connection, but those very devices can also be distracting to students. Similarly, parents complain that when students are required to complete homework assignments online, it's a challenge for students to remain on task. The ubiquity of digital technology in all realms of life isn't going away, but if students don't learn how to concentrate and shut out distractions, research shows they'll have a much harder time succeeding in almost every area.

"The real message is because attention is under siege more than it has ever been in human history, we have more distractions than ever before, we have to be more focused on cultivating the skills of attention," said Daniel Goleman, a psychologist and author of Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence and other books about social and emotional learning on KQED's Forum program.

"Children I'm particularly worried about because the brain is the last organ of the body to become anatomically mature. It keeps growing until the mid-20s," Goleman said. If young students don't build up the neural circuitry that focused attention requires, they could have problems controlling their emotions and being empathetic.

"It's about using the devices smartly but having the capacity to concentrate as you need to, when you want to."

"The circuitry for paying attention is identical for the circuits for managing distressing emotion," Goleman said. The area of the brain that governs focus and executive functioning is known as the pre-frontal cortex. This is also the part of the brain that allows people to control themselves, to keep emotions in check and to feel empathy for other people.

"The attentional circuitry needs to have the experience of sustained episodes of concentration - reading the text, understanding and listening to what the teacher is saying - in order to build the mental models that create someone who is well educated," Goleman said. "The pulls away from that mean that we have to become more intentional about teaching kids." He advocates for a "digital sabbath" everyday, some time when kids aren't being distracted by devices at all. He'd also like to see schools building exercises that strengthen attention, like mindfulness practices, into the curriculum.

The ability to focus is a secret element to success that often gets ignored. "The more you can concentrate the better you'll do on anything, because whatever talent you have, you can't apply it if you are distracted," Goleman said. He pointed to research on athletes showing that when given a concentration test, the results accurately predicted how well each would perform in a game the next day.

Perhaps the most well known study on concentration is a longitudinal study conducted with over 1,000 children in New Zealand by Terrie Moffitt and Avshalom Caspi, psychology and neuroscience professors at Duke University. The study tested children born in 1972 and 1973 regularly for eight years, measuring their ability to pay attention and to ignore distractions. Then, the researchers tracked those same children down at the age of 32 to see how well they fared in life. The ability to concentrate was the strongest predictor of success.

"This ability is more important than IQ or the socio economic status of the family you grew up in for determining career success, financial success and health," Goleman said. That could be a problem for students in the U.S. who often seem addicted to their devices, unable to put them down for even a few moments. Teachers say students are unable to comprehend the same texts that generations of students that came before them could master without problems, said Goleman. These are signs that educators may need to start paying attention to the act of attention itself. Digital natives may need help cultivating what was once an innate part of growing up.

"It's very important to amp up the focus side of the equation," Goleman said. He's not naive about the role digital devices play in society today, but he does believe that without managing how devices affect kids better they'll never learn the attention skills they'll need to succeed in the long term.

"There's a need now to teach kids concentration abilities as part of the school curriculum," Goleman said. "The more children and teens are natural focusers, the better able they'll be to use the digital tool for what they have to get done and then to use it in ways that they enjoy."

Some argue that the current generation of students grew up with digital devices and are much better at multitasking than their parents. But the idea of multitasking is a myth, Goleman said. When people say they're "multitasking," what they are really doing is something called "continuous partial attention," where the brain switches back and forth quickly between tasks. The problem is that as a student switches back and forth between homework and streaming through text messages, their ability to focus on either task erodes. That trend is less pronounced when the actions are routine, but it could have significant implications for how deeply a student understands a new concept.

"If you have a big project, what you need to do every day is have a protected time so you can get work done," Goleman said. For his part, when he's writing a book, Goleman goes to his studio where there is no email, no phone, nothing to distract him. He'll work for several hours and then spend designated time responding to people afterwards.

"I don't think the enemy is digital devices," Goleman said. "What we need to do is be sure that the current generation of children has the attentional capacities that other generations had naturally before the distractions of digital devices. It's about using the devices smartly but having the capacity to concentrate as you need to, when you want to."

Age of Distraction: Why It's Crucial for Students to Learn to Focus

Author

Katrina Schwartz

Katrina Schwartz is a journalist based in San Francisco. She's worked at KPCC public radio in LA and has reported on air and online for KQED since 2010. She's a staff writer for KQED's education blog MindShift.

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Age of Distraction: Why It's Crucial for Students to Learn to Focus

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Digital classroom tools like computers, tablets and smartphones offer exciting opportunities to deepen learning through creativity, collaboration and connection, but those very devices can also be distracting to students. Similarly, parents complain that when students are required to complete homework assignments online, it's a challenge for students to remain on task.

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How Can Teachers Control Cell Phones in their Class?

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How Can Teachers Control Cell Phones in their Class?

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How Can Teachers Control Cell Phones In Their Class?
by Dan Henderson, Author of That's Special: A Survival Guide To Teaching
Create A Cell Phone Jail
Have you ever tried to have students leave their cell phones in their lockers and a mysterious glow comes from under their desk? I got tired of the cell phone shuffle and created a cell phone jail. My students had to check in their phones when class started. This accountability and equity eventually leads to focused minds in the classroom.
Call Parents On FaceTime or Skype and Have Student Sign A Contract
I had students and parents sign a contract saying that they would not allow cell phones during instructional time. If a student smuggled a phone into the classroom, I would call the parents on FaceTime. Picture a mom on a screen telling their child they are grounded for having a cell phone in class. I only had to do this once and then the threat of FaceTime calls were enough to bring order to would be cell phone smugglers.
Use Cell Phones In The Classroom In A Structured Way
Instead of taking away the privilege of using cell phones use this technology to your advantage. Set up a trivia competition or research topic that requires them to use information from the internet. The biggest problem with this is off task cell phone usage. Try controlling students cell phone searches by placing the classroom in teams and setting up timed competitions. When you make the internet entertaining to find sources or to answer trivia questions you help minimize status updates.
A Story About Cell Phones From My Classroom
I started to take away cell phones in my fifth grade classroom because of the constant disruptions. To trust my students to leave them in their backpacks was no longer an option. As a teacher, texting is a constant distraction during any lesson. As a teacher in the 21st century one problem I face are necks constantly bent downwards, while faces glow bright with the latest digital download.

The students with bent necks, all have the same bland expression. Similar to an apocalyptic zombie event. Lifeless feet drag emotionless corpses into the school, with a never ending quench to download, not blood, but social updates. Are these cell phones making these students any happier?

I see one of my students talk to Jamie in the main hallway of the school, "Dude, do you want to meet up tonight to hang out?" "I don't know, text me tonight and ask me." Jamie your friends are right in front of you, ask them in person for heavens sake!

This gadget, which supposedly has limitless entertainment opportunities, makes me fearful for the future of interpersonal relationships. Sending notifications and updates instead of playing outside with friends. Is that where this culture is heading? Yes, probably.

Even in silent mode, the cell phone is deadly to instruction. Cell phones never seem to die! If you are familiar with zombie theology, the double tap is necessary to make sure the zombie is really dead. Bam! Straight to the cell phone processor's head. Pow! Pow!

Remember don't tell students to silence their phone, tell them to put it on airplane mode or power off. Double tap!

Beyond killing the zombie cell phone virus with the double tap method, you need to quarantine the disease. If there is money left over in the school's PTA budget a strict cardio after school program needs to be implemented in case the children rebel and the zombies take over. Please bring this line item up at the next parent teacher conference meeting with full sincerity.

Cell phone zombies, combined with my fear that my students might turn on me one day, (exacerbated by a late night watching of "Children of the Corn") led me to realize: I need to confiscate these devices.

How can mere teachers contain this epidemic in our classrooms? I would begin by searching our educational systems secret weapon: Pinterest. I found a pin on Pinterest and go with the suggestion to have a cell phone jail in my classroom. I purchased a large clear plastic box to be placed on my desk, so that every student could see their social life was not going to run away. Each child is required to place their cell phone in cell phone jail upon entering the classroom.

The first few weeks are met with the un-enthusiastic responses from the zombies, I mean students. The worst part is not the confiscation of the devices, but the vibrations. I have to keep reminding the children to double tap it! In a box of twenty cell phones, it is hard to distinguish who's social life is jingling. Twenty eyes of longing status updates would stare intently into cell phone jail as the whole jar vibrates. Alas, your status update is #HendersonsHouseOfHorrors #IHopeICanRedGood #TheyFedMeDogFoodInHereOnce.

Three child are the worst cell phone villains, Rick, Jamie, and Claudia. They will hold up the line so they can send last minute selfies, or create a talk to text message that we can all hear.

"No, mom I like the ham and cheese hot pockets, gosh!" Jamie yelled, knowing that this last minute text stands between him and ham heaven.

These are my two favorite talk to text moments right before the cell phones entered cell phone jail.

The socially popular Claudia yells to her dad. "No, that's not my hair in the refrigerator that's the dogs." With an obvious look to say that this has happened before. Followed by my second favorite. "Shut up, I don't have a mangina!" By the pimply Rick.

As the week progresses, Rick, Jamie, and Claudia do not always surrender their cell phones willingly. Some students do not have cell phones, and we have not had any incidents to date. I began to believe I could trust my students and began to trust they would always surrender their cell phones in the morning."

I was wrong. These three culprits would lie. Straight to my face. The worst part is that I know they do not regret it, but Mr. Henderson always comes up with a plan for sweet justice.

One by one, their glowing faces give away hidden cell phones tucked under their desks.

Week two of the school year, I have my first cell phone offender. Jamie, the proud owner of a processed cheese stained shirt, is the first to get caught.

I spotted a hunchbacked Jamie, bent over looking culpable at a cell phone. I have described this behavior as the lurk. Jamie lurked under his desk. Jamie's head is still bigger than his body in these developmental years, so the light from the phone glowed brighter on his face. He does not often talk, but when he does the crackle in his voice gives Jamie away. I catch Jamie saying, "I sent you the picture, check it later." I pick up on his Jamie's voice, thanks puberty!

I marched over to Jamie's desk.

"Jamie! How long have you had that cell phone?" I demanded in an authoritative tone.

"Uhhh, for awhile." He shrugged.

"Does awhile mean before the start of the school year?" I ask with my hands crossed.

"Well it depends. I mean I got it this summer, It's still summer until September 21st." The excuses are often worse than the crimes.

This lame excuse made me recall a jingle for Jamie inspired from a hot pocket commercial, "What is Mr. Henderson gonna pick?...............de....ten...tion."

"Jamie, you did not hand in your cell phone with everyone else. You will have after school detention this week."

After this stunt, and Jamie's subsequent time in detention, I think the texting is under control. I hope that parents will teach their kids that the unlimited data plan does not mean you have to text unlimitedly. Your wireless carrier does allow you to eat, sleep, and even communicate with other humans without a screen being glued to your face.

This day, I contemplated quitting teaching. To give you some context, I have been bitten by a student, spit on, and cursed out, but then Rick decided to pop a pimple right outside my class and take a selfie. I was so grossed out I turned my back on the cell phone jail as the pupils enter the classroom.

I hear one student say, "Awesome!" They say if you're the smartest person in the room, leave the room. When zit selfies are considered awesome, leave that state. Rick decides to keep his cell phone since he saw me look away in disgust.

We start the morning message and a math lesson I wanted to review. Rick sat at his desk with his hands under the desk. Rick is a teaser, a jock, and a prankster. Naturally my eyes kept going back in his direction. Rick could not exhibit self control when someone dared him. I hear whispers for Rick and his classmate Jeff to be quiet.

I must warn you to never turn your back as a teacher. I only turned slightly to my right to pick up a marker and then I hear: Click.

"What was that?" I turned around and Rick's hands are further buried under his desk. That was clearly a cell phone camera noise.

"Did you just take a photo of me? Let me see your hands." I demanded.

I check the photo and it's a close up of my butt.

I gripped the phone tightly and stare at the craters on his cheeks.

Rick's face reddens, only intensifying the bright pimples around his face. I extended my hand to take the phone and my glare signals that he will be in detention with Jamie's hot pockets. Rick, Jamie and their Proactive facial scrub would join his fellow cell phone junkies in detention.

After these two incidents, I assumed that these consequences have some sort of affect. Never underestimate a pre-teen. If they want to send a text, you will need to send in a SEAL team to stop them. Once such teen was a strong willed girl names Claudia.

Claudia had long black hair that hanged gracefully straight reaching the middle of her back. Her fingernails were either pink, black or purple on any given day. Claudia wore increasing shorter clothes to gain the attention from the boys newly encroaching hormones and of course for selfies.

"Claudia, Claudia put the cell phone in the bin." Claudia rolled her eyes and turned her back on me blocking my view of the cell phone jail.

"I don't think so. In the bin now!" I hear the pink cell phone case drop in with the other phones and she walked with her nose in the air towards her desk.

We begin practicing long division. The lesson is off to a great start, so I thought.

The class is in groups of four and I passed out the assignment for students to work on. I see hands together and a face glowing with a zombie stare. How could it be? Does Claudia have telekinetic powers? How has she pulled the phone from the bin?

I go to cell phone jail to check if Claudia's phone is present. It's in the bin, or at least it appears. She took off the pink case and took the cell phone to her desk. Sneaky little one. I proceeded cautiously across the room, to not give away my position and to scare the life out of her.

"Claudia! You took the cell phone out of the case and are defiantly texting in my classroom!"

Everyone stopped to look at the commotion and Claudia looked stoic. She stands up and sticks her nose in the air at me.

"This was a birthday present. You can't take away a present. Just because I am texting does not mean I am not listening to you. This is not fair. I hate this school!" Oh God, then the tears start.

"Why can't I have my phone? Why? Why? WHY?" The tears increased.

This is the apex of her miserable existence. Claudia is distraught, the shelter and three meals a day in an industrialized nation are taking their tole. The horror. Maybe I am being to hard, maybe it is as bad as it seems. Could it be that Claudia's phone only has 3G?

"Claudia, stop crying. Claudia it's only a phone. You will get it after school." I declared.

I may as well have said that Claire's social life was becoming extinct. Claudia hunched over and grabbed a textbook over her head indicating she will throw it at me if I proceed closer. This little girl has lost her mind.

"Calm down Claudia, calm down" I try to ease the tension in the room, I think, if there were 100 books in my classroom and if there are twenty students, Claudia could throw five books at each of the students..... I could use this equation in my division lesson. Dan, Dan get back to your first world problems: a pre-adolescent girl is having a cell phone crisis.

"Jamie, call down to the security officer and ask her to come up to our classroom." I patiently said, as I pushed down my hands in the air to signal everything is calm.

The security guard came and uses the not so subtle yelling approach that most security guards use. It scared Claudia enough to drop the textbook in her hand and she is escorted to the principals office.

After the book throwing, detention, and the principals office, you might assume her attitude would change. Nope.

Mom took away her cell phone for a week and then Claudia got her cell phone back. The class files in one by one, dropping off their cell phones. Claudia stood their texting away, lurching, leaning onto the screen.

"Claudia, Claudia put the cell phone in the bin." No response.

"Claudia, oh Claudia, class is starting." She turned her back while rolling her eyes.

The class looked at me for leadership. I calmly get up and look her straight in the eye.

"It seems like you want to be on your phone all day talking to someone. Would you like for me to make that happen for you?" Claudia stared at me puzzled, but then followed me.

"Yes, come with me. You will be able to talk to someone on your phone all during class." Like a french butler escorting a royal guest into a fabulous four star room, I walk briskly across the room with a big smile. Everyone wonders if Mr. Henderson had gone mental.

"Claudia, let me use your phone for just a minute."

"Okay." She says reluctantly, but figured, What can I lose?

I searched the contacts until I find the one number that will settle this little dispute. Mom. I call Mom.

"Hi Mom, it's Mr. Henderson. I am calling you from Claudia's phone. Listen, it seems that we might have had a cell phone incident again."

Mom talked for awhile and I relay what has just happened. As mom started to get upset I say, "I know, I know."

"Listen, since Claudia wants to be on her phone with someone why don't we let her be on FaceTime with you. Yes, she can be on the phone all day with you watching to make sure she is working in our classroom."

"Sounds like a great idea." Mom says enthusiastically.

The other students start to giggle and Claudia looked like she is going to die. I put a desk in the corner with the cell phone pointed straight at her during the course of the whole lesson.

One student turned around and laughed at Claudia. I pick up a spare cell phone from my jail and ask to the whole class:

"Anyone else want me to FaceTime mom?"
If you enjoyed these teaching mishaps and want to read similar stories visit my blog at http://danhendersonthatsspecial.blogspot.com. You can find out more about Dan's book at That's Special: A Survival Guide To Teaching or go on Dan's website onthatspecial.co

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How Can Teachers Control Cell Phones In Their Class? -

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How Can Teachers Control Cell Phones In Their Class? by Dan Henderson, Author of That's Special: A Survival Guide To Teaching Create A Cell Phone Jail Have you ever tried to have students leave their cell phones in their lockers and a mysterious glow comes from under their desk?

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As computers become less expensive, many schools are opting to bring low-cost machines such as Chromebooks into the classroom. While this has opened the door to exciting new learning opportunities, with these devices-as well as students' smartphones-come new challenges, including the distraction factor. How do we teach students to integrate technology into their schoolwork and their learning while also making sure that they're staying focused on the task at hand?

Focus and Multitasking

In " Age of Distraction: Why It's Crucial for Students to Learn to Focus," Katrina Schwartz refers to studies showing that the ability to focus on a task has been linked to future success. She quotes psychologist Daniel Goleman: "This ability [to focus] is more important than IQ or the socioeconomic status of the family you grew up in for determining career success, financial success, and health."

In a similar article, " With Tech Tools, How Should Teachers Tackle Multitasking in Class?," Holly Korbey explores research around student study habits and talks to veteran teachers about their experiences with students using technology in the classroom. Many describe the challenges of keeping kids focused in a high-tech environment. Others claim the issue is that students aren't being given challenging work, so they naturally move to social media because they're bored. One teacher originally had a "no-tech" policy in her classroom so she could be assured that students were engaged and focused. The article also shares stories from teens who discovered that they focused better once their phones were out of the picture.

Student Voice and Engaging Families

While having a no-tech policy may be extreme and in some ways counterproductive, having no expectations for how tech is used is also unhelpful, especially if teens report that they focus better without devices.

Unless we talk with kids about their use of technology-why they use it, when they use it, how they use it-we're never going to get them to a place where they're using it effectively most of the time, both in the classroom and at home. We also need to engage parents, who are often digitally distracted themselves. How can parents serve as role models and have open conversations with their children that acknowledge the role technology plays in students' social lives while also teaching them the invaluable skill of balancing their social lives with personal goals and success?

We can engage parents in informal conversations during report card conferences or organize school-wide events, inviting parents and students to participate in workshops on digital distraction together.

Teaching Self-Management

Focus and attention are huge issues with students today. I hear from my students all the time about how long it takes them to complete their homework, and usually it's because they aren't focusing on what needs to get done. I also believe that efficient multitasking is partially a myth. Every time you switch from one task to another, you break the flow you had in one task so that you can pay attention to the new task. I'm not, however, an advocate for removing devices from students' hands, which I find unrealistic at best.

Instead, we should be deliberately teaching students how to manage their attention with their devices and explaining what multitasking is doing to their ability to effectively complete their work. You can have your phone out and listen to music while doing independent work. If the work is getting done in a timely fashion, who cares? If your phone is out in front of you, upside down and not distracting you, why should you need to put it away? That said, if you can't seem to stop texting or looking at your phone, you're better off putting it in your bag until class is over. When my students leave high school, they'll need to know norms and etiquette for their devices. They'll also need to know themselves-specifically, their own limits when it comes to distraction. Eventually, they should know when to put their phone away because it's distracting them, or when listening to music while they work is slowing them down.

There are moments in class when I ask that all students lower their screens and bring their attention to each other. During a class discussion, or during direct instruction when I'm modeling something or asking them to look at something not on their device, they shouldn't be looking at their phones or computer screens. Again, it's important to build these habits in the classroom.

Devices aren't going away, and we need to teach our students how to effectively manage them so they can be successful in whatever they do. Computers and the internet are very distracting, even for me. I've learned how to ignore alerts on my phone or avoid checking my email or social media when I know that my full attention is needed where I actually am. This was something I had to teach myself as an adult. The least I can do is help my students build those skills now, before they build bad habits.

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Digital Tools and Distraction in School | Edutopia

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As computers become less expensive, many schools are opting to bring low-cost machines such as Chromebooks into the classroom. While this has opened the door to exciting new learning opportunities, with these devices-as well as students' smartphones-come new challenges, including the distraction factor.

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Classroom Management of Mobile Devices: The Traffic Signal Approach

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Classroom Management of Mobile Devices: The Traffic Signal Approach

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I t's the big question circulating through my school, and probably most of yours right now: Should I let my students use mobile devices in class? As you probably already know, cell phones can be a great tool for instruction. They provide opportunities for individual feedback with tools like PollEverywhere, as well as quick access to web resources for those students with smartphones. However, they can also be a distraction during classroom activities, especially for students who have a tendency to get off task.

So what is to be done? Should they be banned completely? If they are allowed, how do educators enforce when students should have cell phones out and when they should be put away?

As always, it depends on each classroom and each individual instructor. Nonetheless, I wanted to share with you an approach to classroom management of cell phone usage that is simple and easy to implement: the Traffic Signal Approach.

The Traffic Signal Approach breaks down mobile device usage in the classroom into three manageable components:

RED LIGHT
Students must have their cell phones and other electronic devices completely put away. Any visibility of these devices will incur consequences as designated by classroom policies such as having cell phones confiscated. This light is useful for test-taking, and other situations where you want student attention to be completely focused on the task at hand.

YELLOW LIGHT
Students may have their cell phones out as long as they are being used for educational purposes. Any misuse or inappropriate behavior will result in consequences as outlined in classroom policies, such as loss of cell-phone privilege or confiscation. This light is useful when students are doing independent research, and other situations where cell phones may prove to be a good resource.

GREEN LIGHT
Students must have their cell phones out for a classroom activity. Any misuse or inappropriate behavior will result in consequences as outlined in classroom policies, such as loss of participation points or confiscation. This light is intended for situations in which the teacher is leading students in an activity that utilizes mobile devices, and other situations where cell phones are necessary to participate.

By setting up these components ahead of time, either with a working traffic signal or simply three different colored cards (red, yellow and green), mobile devices in the classroom can become more manageable. As with any other classroom policy, to ensure success educators must clearly outline expectations and guidelines with the traffic signal, and explain in detail what each signal means. Once these guidelines are put in place however, the traffic signal can become an easy way to let students know what they should be doing with their mobile devices!

Update: Check out this great website to display a traffic signal on your screen or overhead! (Simply click on the colored light to turn it on!)

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Classroom Management of Mobile Devices: The Traffic Signal Approach

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It's the big question circulating through my school, and probably most of yours right now: Should I let my students use mobile devices in class? As you probably already know, cell phones can be a great tool for instruction. They provide opportunities for individual feedback with tools like PollEverywhere, as well as quick access to web...

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Teachers can use a cell phone parking lot to manage student cell phone use during a class period. Implementing this tool allows teachers to interact with students about their cell phones in a proactive and non-confrontational way.

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Science News for Students

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Smartphones and Facebook are convenient. New research shows that for some people they also can become dangerously addictive.

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Waking Up Teens About Cell Phones and Sleet

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Waking Up Teens About Cell Phones and Sleet

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Science News for Students

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Waking up teens about cell phones and sleep

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Zarin Rahman was losing sleep, and did her own research to figure out why. She brought her study on sleep and electronic use to the 2014 Intel Science Talent Search.

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27 Meaningful (and Fun) Ways to Use Technology 

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27 Meaningful (and Fun) Ways to Use Technology 

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A Cavalcade of Inspiring Ideas for Kicking up Learning and Enhancing Engagement in Your Classroom!

There are enough ideas, resources, and (mostly) free tools here to keep you exploring and learning all year long. Have at it!

1. Get Your Students Creating

There is just no limit to the way that students can use the endless free resources available on the Web to create! You probably also have other creative applications on the computers or devices in your classroom, library, or computer lab. For lots of creative of ideas, check out this list of " 60 Things Students Can Create To Demonstrate What They Know " from our friends at TeachThought.com.

2. Get Real Time Feedback

If there are devices at your student's disposal, using them to let students provide real time feedback has never been easier. In fact, your students don't even need devices (have you heard about Plickers?)! Check out these " Top 5 Student Response Systems that Work on Multiple Platforms" to learn more about the excellent free tools that teachers are using every day to gather feedback or give brief quizzes, etc. If your students don't have devices at their disposal, check out how you can use free Plickers instead!

3. Collaborate

Collaboration is a vital 21st century skill, and collaborating via the web with your students can be free and easy! Here's a nice set of tools and ideas for using them, to help get you started: " 8 EdTech Hacks: A Cheat Sheet for Interactive Classroom Collaboration ".

4. Augment Reality

2015 was an awesome year for Augmented Reality tools for the classroom. Here are " 9 Amazing Augmented Reality Apps for Teaching and Learning". This article offers videos showing how some teachers and students are using these types of apps. Then find even more AR apps for the classroom here!

5. Gamify It

We've all heard the buzz about "gamification". How can you take advantage of this concept with your students? One fun way is to create a PowerPoint Jeopardy game relevant to the content you teach. Here are some templates and ideas for using them. Another popular game that is taking the classroom by storm is Minecraft - they even have an education-dedicated site and resources over at MinecraftEDU.com.

6. Meet Your Maker

The Maker Movement and Maker Spaces got a lot of attention over the last year, and deservedly so ... when students create, they learn! Here's a fun way to give maker education a try in your classroom, from Jackie Gerstein. Learn more in her article, " Reflecting on the Making Process ".

7. Make it ... in 3D!

If you have a 3D printer in your school, or maybe one in a nearby library, you can consider printing something in 3D - your students will probably be amazed (mine were)! What can you print that can help fit into what you are teaching? This list of 21 Cool Things Teachers and Students Have Built With 3D Printers will probably give you some ideas. Just keep in mind that if you are not already familiar with 3D printing, you're going to need some help from someone who is.

8. Create Collaboratively

One of the funnest ways to use collaborative tools in the classroom is to create with them! Google Drive is a hugely popular free solution that allows you and your students to collaborate on the creation of documents, worksheets, presentations, and more. Or try a collaborative interactive whiteboard like Twiddla or one of the many other IWBs in this article (be sure to check the comments for lots of additional suggestions from readers). These are just a few of the possibilities for creative collaboration in the classroom!

9. Let Them Choose

Giving students choices can be a significant motivator (check out Larry Ferlazzo's, " The Power of Choice ", to learn more about this vital aspect of student engagement). When you are selecting tools and ways to utilize them, but sure to offer choices. Offer a selection of topics, approaches, apps, and techniques when creating assignments and projects, and students are sure to feel more involved and take more ownership of their learning.

10. Enhance Their Writing Skills

The Web is full of tools, resources, and ideas that can give your students opportunities to develop their writing skills. One of my favorite techniques is Crystal Kirch's WSQ technique, which is a great way to help ensure that students engage with learning content, and it also gets them writing. Here are some additional student writing tools, apps, and techniques for further exploration.

11. Video It

Creating video can be so much fun for students, it incorporates an array of skills, and it has never been easier! I love the Student Showcase we do each fall at the Teaching and Learning with the iPad Conference in Raleigh, NC, where young students are always demonstrating the awesome movies they've made with iMovie. I vividly recall the first time I saw some of these back in 2013, from Fuquay Varina Elementary School school students. Here is one of these movies, from students Sekou, Camren, and Colin. I also watched professional quality newscasts, and short movies, created by Franklin Academy high school students. Several of these well-spoken students demonstrated some of the equipment and tools that they used to create this content in this presentation.

12. Go Global

We can now bring the world into our classroom with such ease! Try a virtual field trip, like these from the Nature Conservatory, or explore the world with EarthCam. Bring remote guests into your classroom with Skype, or participate in a Google Hangout with Connected Classrooms. The possibilities are limitless!

13. Go Mobile

Students can now learn via mobile devices in ways never before possible. They can also use those mobile devices to do so many fun educational things in and out of the classroom! Consider trying a geocaching assignment, for example. The article, " R U Engaging Your Students? Strategies and Tools for the Texting Generation ", offers a broad set of additional ideas for putting those mobile devices to use.

14. Animate it

Applications like GoAnimate, Voki, and Tellagami can be used by teachers and by students to create fun animated presentations. Students can have a blast using tools like these for assignments and projects without even realizing that they are developing writing skills and digital literacy. These platforms can also enable students to "present" without having to stand up on in front of a group, which can help younger students in particular gain skills and confidence without being overwhelmed by public speaking.

15. Get Your Groups On

Group activities help to build the vital 21st century collaboration, communication, and teamwork skills increasingly sought in today's schools and work places. Create group projects that let students use different talents and assume different rules. Split up responsibility for researching, designing, creating, documenting, and presenting. Partner students to create and critique each others' work. Try some of these " 7 Tools Students Can Use to Manage Group Projects " to teach students how to coordinate group efforts. Group work can take many forms, and tech tools can play a role in many of those activities.

16. Flip It

The Flipped Classroom is a powerful teaching and learning construct that has been made possible largely by digital technologies. Create a digital lesson, or use some of the amazing content that is already available online, and give the flip a try (just be sure to plan for how you will use the class time that you free up, which is what it is ultimately all about)! Check out this three part series of articles to get a good overview of the flipped classroom from published experts.

17. Improve Student Reading Comprehension

Tools like Newsela are brilliant examples of the powerful role education technology can play in facilitating reading comprehension (which is more of a challenge than ever, given today's students' love for video). Check out this article, " Literacy in the Digital Age: Five Sites With High-Quality Informational Text ", to learn about a handful of tools similar to Newsela.

18. Make it a Project

Project Based Learning does not have to incorporate technology, but tech can readily play a role in PBL. Of course, it is also important to understand the difference between projects, per se, and true PBL. This quote from the TeachThought article, " The Difference Between Projects And Project-Based Learning ", says it well: "While project-based learning (PBL) also features projects, in PBL the focus is more on the process of learning and learner-peer-content interaction that the end-product itself."

19. Present it

Developing and delivering presentations is a common element in many of today's Higher Education classrooms, and they are finding their way into high schools and even lower grades, as K-12 schools further embrace 21st century skills. While Powerpoint remains widely popular, there are a growing number of alternative tools finding a place in both academia and the business world. One of those is PowToon (I'm a fan!), and they have shared 9 other alternatives in their article, " 10 Best Powerpoint Alternatives" (if you get a pop up encouraging you to try a free account, just look for the "x" to click on to return to the article).

20. Try a Webquest!

Have you tried a Webquest yet? Webquest.org explains, "A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web." Zunal.com is a site that has a bunch of WebQuests, perfect for exploring and learning more! I have to admit, this is pretty new to me. When I write an article like this, I am always looking to learn new things too, and while most of these ideas are off the top of my head based on things I am already aware of, this was a new one! Can't wait to give it a shot.

21. Comics and Cartooning

I came away from the 2014 Teaching and Learning with the iPad conference with two huge takeways ... the power of Digital Storytelling (thank you Kathy Schrock ... more on this below), and an appreciation and awareness of the existence of good free comics and cartoon apps (thank you Emily Wierszewski!). Check out " Dozens of Ways to Use Comics and Cartoons in the Classroom" and " 20 Free Tools for Making Comics and Cartoons for Teaching and Learning" for everything you ever needed to know about the topic but were afraid to ask! (After you look those over, check out the video for my original song, Lotto Dust, to see how I had a blast creating a video using Pixton and some other tools!).

22. Code it

Yes, we're fans of coding as a learning tool. Unfortunately, many teachers may be functioning under a few misconceptions about what coding entails. The fact is, coding constructs can be fun and probably a lot simpler than you might have imagined. One of the most popular uses of coding in the classroom these days is coding small robotic devices, and it is very popular in young grades because it is not very hard and it's fun! This article from Vicki Davis's Cool Cat Teacher site, " Top Tips for Teaching With Robots (Using Spero) ", provides a good introduction to using one of these products in the classroom.

23. Set up a 'Back Channel'

Ever had a student who was totally reluctant to participate in classroom conversations? Of course you have (you've probably had dozens or even hundreds of them). One fun way to leverage tech in the classroom is to create a "back channel" where all of your students, even those reluctant to speak up in class, can participate in the dialogue around a subject. Twitter is a very popular tool for doing this. "MaggieV" explains how in this post on her "School 2.0 in South Africa" blog.

24. Tell a Story

Kathy Schrock is an original. She was one of the first edtech bloggers to rise to popularity, and it's no surprise since she really knows her stuff! I thoroughly enjoyed her Keynote presentation at TLIPAD 2014, and wrote this article about it: " The Power of Digital Storytelling, With Kathy Schrock (plus a Zillion Resources!)". I often reach back to these resources for inspiration for lesson content, and as a reference when I am writing articles for the site here. There are a wealth of insights in that article, and Kathy's Digital Storytelling web page provides many tools and resources that both students and teachers can use to incorporate digital story telling into classroom work.

25. Reinforce it with an Exit Ticket Activity

The "Exit Ticket" is a great opportunity to help students begin to reinforce learning. There are many tech tools that are great for creating Exit Ticket activities. TeachThought offers these " 10 Smart Tools For Digital Exit Slips ".

26. Sharing is Caring

As long as you have their permission, sharing student work can be very exciting for students, parents, and teachers! Just think of the artwork hanging in the halls of K-12 schools all over the world. The digital equivalent of this can be accomplished through school web sites, teacher web pages, and other online means. One related tool that is gaining increased exposure in both K-12 and higher ed is the Digital Portfolio. In 2015, K-12 eportofilio app SeeSaw earned a lot of notice. To my way of thinking, in higher education it should be a requirement for students to share their best work and use it to bolster their employment opportunities.

27. App Smash it!

Have you App Smashed yet? You probably have and may not even have realized it! For example, if you create content in one app and then modify or distribute it in another, this is a form of App Smashing. And you know it sounds like fun - you can just envision student's eyes lighting up when you say the phrase right?! "App Smashing!". Here are " 6 Amazing Apps Smash Examples to Inspire Creativity ", from ThingLink.

Well, there you have it - 27 powerful ideas for integrating technology into lessons, assignments, projects, etc., in fun, meaningful ways. And if these tools and ideas aren't enough to keep you busy exploring and having fun with your students throughout the year, be sure to stop back regularly for more great ideas, tools, and resources!

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27 Meaningful (and Fun) Ways to Use Technology for Teaching and Learning

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There are enough ideas, resources, and (mostly) free tools here to keep you exploring and learning all year long. Have at it! There is just no limit to the way that students can use the endless free resources available on the Web to create!

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by Susan Verner 30,930 views

When the typical teacher sees her students using cell phones in class, her response is to put it away, take it away or through some other means remove the phone from the classroom.

Today's phones, though, have many features your students can use to their advantage when learning English, and allowing them in the classroom may just help your students learn. Here are some activities you might want to try in class that will also convince you cell phones really can be put to positive use in class.

Try These 8 Cell Phone Activities in Your Classroom

1. Pass the Picture

Since most of today's cell phones include a camera feature, phones can be a terrific way to help your students learn new vocabulary. Set a precedent in your class that students can bring in cell phone pictures of objects they see outside the classroom, objects that they do not now possess English vocabulary to describe. Pass the picture around the class and see if anyone can give their fellow student an answer to his vocabulary conundrum, or give the answer yourself if no one else has a ready answer!

2. Picture Scavenger Hunt

On the flip side, you can give your students a set of words that corresponds with a unit you are studying in class and send them out on a picture scavenger hunt. This will work particularly well with very concrete sets of vocabulary, words that your students would use and see examples of on a daily basis. Send groups out with vocabulary lists and camera phones and see how many they can find before returning to class at the assigned time.

3. No-See

For second language learners, visual clues are very important when it comes to communicating. Unfortunately, real life language situations do not always give ESL students ideal situations for communicating in English, for example, language exchanged over the phone. Cell phone conversations can give your students a chance to practice conversational skills without visual input to aid comprehension. Though they may be challenging, they will ultimately be beneficial to your students and their language studies.

4. Voicemail Challenge

Even more challenging to your students' listening skills is listening to a recorded message via voicemail. They will have the same challenges that come from lack of visual input, but they will additionally have the distortions that come from a digital recording. Be creative and send your students regular voice messages. Use a group message to your class to assign homework or give information that they will need for class the next day. The group message will save you from having to repeat the same message twenty times and your students will still reap the benefits that come with the voicemail challenge.

5. Text-A-Summary

In reading class, cell phones can play a valuable part as well. The next time you want your students to write a summary of something they have read, have them text it to you or your website. Because many phones have a strict and very low limit on the number of characters one text can contain, it will force your students to be concise and avoid trivial and useless words in their summaries.

6. Writing Inspiration

In writing, use cell phones as inspiration for writing assignments. Have students take pictures of people or scenes they see outside the classroom for inspiration when they write inside the classroom. They may want to take pictures of interesting buildings, beautiful scenery or interesting people. For a real challenge, have students exchange phones and pictures and be inspired by their classmates' photos.

7. Act'n'Snap

Or have your students reenact a piece of literature they read in class in play format. As groups of students perform in front of the class, the rest of the students use their phones to take pictures. After everyone has performed and taken at least one picture, have your students use one of their pictures to write about what was happening in the selection at that point.

8. Research Assistant

If you ever find yourself frustrated because you do not have enough internet resources for your classroom, allowing your students to use their phones for internet access in class can alleviate that problem. Your students can then use the reference sources available online as well as do research right in class. Since they are using their phones, you will not need wifi or computers in your classroom.

As we complete our transition into the information age, classrooms are bound to feel the effects, but teachers can put these changes to positive use on a daily basis.

By allowing and encouraging cell phones in the ESL classroom, you will have a unique bank of resources at your fingertips, and your students', ready to move them toward language fluency in English.
Do you allow cell phones in your classroom? Why/why not?

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Why You Should Use Cell Phones in Class: 8 Activities For Putting Phones to Positive Use in the ESL Classroom

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by Susan Verner 30,930 views Today's phones, though, have many features your students can use to their advantage when learning English, and allowing them in the classroom may just help your students learn. Here are some activities you might want to try in class that will also convince you cell phones really can be put to positive use in class.

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Dog and Bone: Mobile Technology - past, present and future
A designer lessons ESL Lesson plan developed by George Chilton
This is a simple video lesson aimed at encouraging a conversation related to the past, present and future of phones, communication and technology. There's plenty of room for student input and discussion here. Let your students speak freely, take notes and give them corrections where natural pauses take place. It's a fun lesson and usually gets them engaged. It has worked well for me so far in both business and teens classes.

The cover image for this lesson comes from Nick Rodriguez, an artist whose webpage can be found here http://www.nickrodrigues.com
Lesson aims: Stage One
coverage / cellular/ cities / in / available / most

Ask your students to rearrange the words above so that they make a phrase.

Cellular coverage available in most cities.

Ask them to guess what they think it means. Give them help if they need it - cellular being the US English word for a battery-powered phone, with "cell" being the common abbreviation. Explain mobile is the standard British term. "Coverage" relates to the availability of mobile networks.

Do they know what the "dog and bone" is? (Cockney rhyming slang for phone).

Next give your students some numbers - tell them they related to mobile technology. Ask them to make guess as to what they could mean. Here's their opportunity to use language of speculation (it could refer to/ I believe it's /It's possibly.../I reckon / If I took a stab in the dark, I'd say it relates to..., etc).

6 billion (mobile subscriptions)

1.2 billion (active mobile broadband subscriptions)

$8 billion (expected revenue from merchandise sold on e-bay)

$2.5 billion (annual revenue google mobile advertising)

Ask them to estimate the mobile phone coverage in their country. What percentage, would they estimate, do not have a mobile phone?

Some stats from http://mobithinking.com/ :

LATEST UPDATE (January, 2012):
Adds... * Cellular subscriptions worldwide: 6 billion. * Latest subscriber stats for top three countries: China and India now account for over 30 percent of world subs, both rapidly approaching 1 billion and dwarfing subs in third-place USA. * Global and regional Mobile Web usage stats: 1.2 billion active mobile-broadband subscriptions worldwide; Asia is top region; Top 10 mobile Web countries: South Korea and Japan lead in mobile broadband penetration. * VC investment in mobile in 2011: $6.3 billion or 42.4 percent of total budgets. * Top US mobile ad networks by revenue are Google, Millennial Media, Apple, Yahoo!, Microsoft and Jumptap. * Google's $2.5 billion in annual revenue from mobile advertising. * eBay expects customers to buy and sell $8 billion of merchandise in 2012. * PayPal expects to see $7 billion in mobile payment volume in 2012.

Ask your students what their life was like before they had mobile phones. Are they more or less stressed now?
Stage Two

How has culture been changed by mobile technology, if at all? How?

How reliant are your students on mobile phones?

What is the most useful function of the phone?

Ask your students to watch the following video (or one of your choice:

"Cellular coverage available in most cities" - was one of the selling-points. How have things changed today?

Ask them to bring out their phones and list their features. Get them to make a comparison with the one shown in the advert and the one they own.
Stage three - predicting the future
Ask the following question: how will phones change in the next 5 to 10 years?

Get your students in groups to discuss and mind-map ideas.

Then show the following video from Aatma Studios:

Have any of their suggestions been used?

Finally, get the students to compare the concept phone to their own.
Follow-up homework
They should write a composition explaining their mobile phone history and how the technology helps or hinders them. Alternatively, if they do not own a phone, they should write a composition explaining why they have chosen to opt-out.
Another idea for an opener
If you happen to have a very old mobile phone in your possession, bring it in and ask if anyone wants to give you €200 for it. When they scoff and say no, tell them you paid much more for it when it was new. They're getting a good deal, etc. Discuss how technology changes so quickly and how fast they depreciate in value. And you never know - you might just make an extra €200.

Designer Lessons by George Chilton is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Creado a partir de la obra en designerlessons.wordpress.com

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Dog and Bone: Mobile Technology - past, present and future

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A designer lessons ESL Lesson plan developed by George Chilton This is a simple video lesson aimed at encouraging a conversation related to the past, present and future of phones, communication and technology. There's plenty of room for student input and discussion here. Let your students speak freely, take notes and give them corrections where...

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Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education

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Computers in the Classroom: A Mindful Lens on Technology

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Computers in the Classroom: A Mindful Lens on Technology

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This may at first surprise anyone who is familiar with my work. As one of the first media theorists to acknowledge and advocate widespread net accessibility, I have been calling for more -- not less -- computer education. My doctoral dissertation was about the promise of the net to change everything from storytelling to economics, and my current research -- as a code literacy advocate for Codecademy.com -- concerns how best to spread digital fluency. I was the one getting laughed at in the 1980s for telling people they'd one day be using email.

And yes, our kids now live in a highly digital world. They all seem to have iPods and iPads, Facebook accounts and Wikipedia skills. Digital tools are everywhere in the "real" world, so why shouldn't they be everywhere in the classroom?

Context is Critical

First, and probably most important, it's because the classroom is the one place where we are supposed to notice things. When we teach literature, we don't just teach the content on the page -- we teach the historical context of the writer, the choice of medium and ways in which the medium was used. No book is just a story.

Likewise, no program is just a tool, no website is just information and no social platform is a neutral meeting place. To use any of these unconsciously in the real world is bad enough; to use them unconsciously and thus uncritically in the classroom is even worse.

So the first requirement to using any technology in the classroom is for us to be prepared to talk about it, assess its influence over our interactions and evaluate its role in an ongoing way.

Second, it's our role as educators to judge whether a given piece of technology is really going to enhance our ability to educate. Will it help us engage with our students, or help them engage with each other and the subject more meaningfully? I know that sounds like an easy one, until we consider the very real classrooms I've visited where the very opposite has been true.

Actual or Virtual Reality?

I once was invited to observe a classroom that had been the location of a college's "Model United Nations" seminar for the past fifteen years -- only this year they were trying something different. Instead of having the students dress up as delegates and conduct debates, the department decided to use technology to simulate the whole thing. So now students walked into the same classroom, logged into individual computers, signed onto Second Life (a virtual world), and conducted their debates through avatars. The school was proud enough of the "hi-tech learning pilot" that they put photos of it on the next course catalogue.

They came up with a great solution for long-distance students, perhaps, but they were applying it to real people in a real room; these were students who were paying to attend a college, live in dorms, and walk into a real classroom. The primary advantage of face-to-face learning and interaction was surrendered to the seemingly pressing need to become more like what these students were experiencing outside of school. Oops.

The choice of whether and how to bring a technology into the classroom needn't be a crapshoot. Instead, I suggest that educators evaluate any technology on several levels -- and if it passes all these tests, to try out that technology on a provisional basis.

Know Your Medium

Can I afford to lose more face-to-face time?

Mediating a technology (and this goes for books as much as tablets) will take kids' eyes off teachers and fellow students, and onto screens. Given that kids already spend ample screen time at home or, nowadays, walking down the street with their noses in their smart phones, the school classroom provides an opportunity to luxuriate in real-time, face-to-face exchanges with other human beings. Given that 94% of human communication occurs non-verbally, and that public speaking and presentation to groups are (along with expository writing) among the proficiencies most lacking in young hires today, it makes sense for the classroom to be a place where young people can develop the "people skills" required to work and live successfully.

Before bringing any additional technology into the classroom, we must evaluate whether the subject we hope to convey through this technology loses anything when it is divorced from human interaction, and whether we will be able to make up for this elsewhere in our curriculum.

On what scale does this technology function?

Back in the early cell phone era, we used to talk about devices in terms of the ideal audience for their size. "Inch" devices, with little screens that fit in your hand, are best for individuals, and favor reading or watching over writing or doing. "Foot" devices, like laptops and computers, are great for production, and are aimed at groups of one to three collaborators. "Yard" devices, such as smart boards and projectors, are great for presenting to larger groups of people, but not particularly interactive for anyone but the presenter.

Understanding these biases helps an educator decide whether to turn students' attention to the front of the room, to computer screens or to the devices in their palms.

How does the medium inform the message?

The technology through which we are teaching is never a neutral player. Just as the American literature teacher who falls back on showing the film Grapes of Wrath always tries to get students to talk about what makes the movie different from the book, teachers who use digital technology have to bring an awareness of the technology itself into the lessons.

If we are going to use a hypertext website to teach Shakespeare, how can we contrast this technology with technology that was available to Shakespeare? How does it compare with the concordances used by scholars over the centuries? How do Shakespeare's plays already reflect a "hypertext sensibility" about the world? Or do they? What is the Elizabethan worldview, and how is it different from the one implied by the television and social media networks of our own time? Which brings us to our final measure:

Will the technology teach us anything about itself?

In the end, I've always felt that computers are best at teaching about computers. I am not particularly a fan of online learning -- except when it's a website that teaches people how to program computers. In other words, the digital environment is the very best place to teach people about the digital environment.

So while using computers to teach computing may be its ideal use in this regard, I would hope that the other ways in which we use computers in the classroom are at least transparent enough for us all to recognize their presence, their impact and their specific role in the design of the lesson.

We must never forget that they are portals to a different realm -- even if we don't have to turn out the lights and listen to the hum of a movie projector.

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Computers in the Classroom: A Mindful Lens on Technology | Edutopia

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This may at first surprise anyone who is familiar with my work. As one of the first media theorists to acknowledge and advocate widespread net accessibility, I have been calling for more -- not less -- computer education.

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Students rarely slow down during the day. When they do, it allows them to turn inward and embrace themselves exactly as they are. Dylan, a high school freshman, shares his experience learning mindfulness meditation.

"I Am Mindful" was filmed at Gateway High School in San Francisco.
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Watch "I Am Mindful" - Sparking Self-Acceptance in the Classroom | Mindful Schools

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Students rarely slow down during the day. When they do, it allows them to turn inward and embrace themselves exactly as they are. Dylan, a high school freshman, shares his experience learning mindfulness meditation. "I Am Mindful" was filmed at Gateway High School in San Francisco.

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The Neuroanatomical Transformation of the Teenage Brain

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The Neuroanatomical Transformation of the Teenage Brain

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The Neuroanatomical Transformation of the Teenage Brain: Jill Bolte Taylor at TEDxYouth@Indianapolis

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The prefrontal cortex is where the highest cognitive and emotional control networks are being constructed, especially during the school years. These networks are what neurologists call executive functions.

The networks of the executive functions direct the complex mental processes that you see emerging as students grow. Executive functions can be thought of as the skills that would make a corporate executive successful, abilities that allow them to:

Organize

Prioritize

Communicate effectively

Accurately interpret validity and value of information

Make long-range plans to achieve goals

Assess risk

Solve problems creatively

Innovate

These networks do not reach full effectiveness until early adulthood. When well nurtured by use, executive functions ultimately guide the brain's abilities to:

Manage emotional stability

Control impulses

Plan

Respond productively to corrective feedback

Learn from mistakes

Remain resilient to setbacks

Reflect thoughtfully before making decisions and choices.

Early adolescence (ages 10-12) is a good time to build students' skills of organizing and prioritizing information and time management. The opportunities you provide to guide them in using these executive functions also provide the activation to strengthen these networks when they are at peak neuroplastic responsiveness. As a result of this strengthening, your students will build more skills en route to becoming self-directed learners.

Helping Students Organize Themselves

Successful organization is needed for preparing and completing most activities related to school. The development of this executive function becomes even more critical as the responsibilities and requirements of school and extracurricular activities increase each year. Using strategies that increase student awareness of these skills and providing guided opportunities to use them will help adolescents build the brainpower that they need.

Start by promoting student awareness of their existing organizing skills. Ask questions such as:

How do you sort your music on playlists?

How do you organize your files on your computer?

Also, ask questions about familiar things that are already organized systematically, such as:

How is the content of this book organized into chapters?

What organization do you see in the periodic table of elements or in dividing plants and animals into classifications such as kingdoms, genus, and species?

Other Strategies

1. Teacher Modeling and Discussion

Model your systems of organization (filing, recording progress, how you set up the classroom, etc.). Draw students' attention to the organizational strategies that you use during instruction.

2. Clear Instructions

Initially, when providing organizational strategies, emphasize them both verbally and in writing. Give students clear instructions for procedures, projects, or class transitions as you model organizational structure.

3. Student Modeling

Assign selected students to model the procedures that you've described, such as the right way and the wrong way to organize their class groups during collaborative work time.

4. Checking for Understanding

Stop between segments of complex or multi-step instructions, allowing students to organize their thoughts and ask questions. Ask students to repeat back their understanding of the instructions so that they can respond to your feedback and reorganize appropriately.

5. Gradual Release of Responsibility

Throughout the year, plan a gradual decrease in the scaffolding that you provide for student organization of time and goals. For example, back away from giving them your timeline schedule for parts of a book report or project, let them plan and write their own timelines, and revise these as you help them monitor their progress.

6. Feedback

Observe student progress and setbacks and provide feedback with opportunities for them to revise their organizational systems.

The Case for Investing in Executive Functions

As the caretaker of your students' brains during the years of rapid prefrontal cortex development, the opportunities that you provide for them to use these critical neural networks are precious gifts. The tools and skills that you help them build will empower them to achieve their highest potential now, and will increase their satisfaction and success as they inherit the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

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Brain Development and Adolescent Growth Spurts

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The prefrontal cortex is where the highest cognitive and emotional control networks are being constructed, especially during the school years. These networks are what neurologists call executive functions. The networks of the executive functions direct the complex mental processes that you see emerging as students grow.

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To get a copy of this graphic suitable for a poster, click here.

Understanding the Teen Brain

Some 36 million people in the US are between 12 and 24 years of age-a vital period of development many neuroscientists call the age of the adolescent brain, or the teenage brain. We've recently seen a profusion of books (see below) pointing out that many of us-and our institutions-have misapprehended the teenage brain and the human beings carrying one around. One high school board member put it to me that "Teenagers are idiots. They need to be protected from themselves." Idiots? Ouch!

What's really going on, according to brain scientists, is a vitally important period of heightened receptivity (so one seeks out novel experiences), risk taking (to stretch limits), social sensitivity (to form bonds and alliances), and high plasticity (allowing for rapid skills development), to name a few. These features are necessary for a next generation to pave new pathways for the future. But they also make teenagehood a high-wire act that carries big risks. To balance these positives and negatives, the authors of the books say, we need to give teens lots of room, while paying enough attention to helping prevent risks to physical and mental health with potential consequences that are hard to recover from. All generations benefit when a new generation is given room to grow and change the world, while being offered some protection that avoids smothering.

Drawing on the books from below, here we summarize a few key neuroscience findings and highlight challenges and opportunities associated with this naturally wild and crazy time of life.

-Barry Boyce, Editor-in-Chief

A Time of Rapid and Radical Brain Development

* The stimulation-seeking part of the brain, the reward system, is highly sensitized during a time of hormonal surges. Emotion is heightened. As Laurence Steinberg writes, "Nothing...will ever feel as good as it did when you were a teenager." Or, as bad -when rewards prove elusive and hopes are unfulfilled.

* The self-regulatory systems develop slowly. Risk-taking in pursuit of rewarding feelings is likely. It's not a lack of intellect: risks are understood, but rewards loom large.

* A highly sensitized social brain is deeply attuned to others' expressions, feelings, and opinions.

* Steadily growing capacity for reasoning and abstraction can lead to bold creativity. It's not a stage to "get over," says Dan Siegel. "It's a stage to cultivate well."

A Time of Volatility and Risk

* Drinking and Drugs: 1 in 5 American high-school seniors abuses alcohol at least twice a month. Illegal drug use continues to rise.

* Violence: 40% of high-school boys have been in a physical fight in the past year.

* Pregnancy: Nearly a third of young women will get pregnant by age 20. Suicide 8% of high school students try to commit suicide.

* Crime: Adolescents commit most of the crimes in the US; nearly $6 billion is spent every year incarcerating them.

* Fatal Accidents: Nearly half of adolescent deaths are in accidents, and 6,000 are in car crashes.

What Can Help Teenagers Flourish?

* Understanding: Getting to know their brains: why they might be experiencing what they're experiencing; knowledge is power.

* Trust and Respect: So they can trust and respect in return, and gain independent decision-making power.

* Room to Take Risks: To be steered away from high risks, without aggression. And given room to take moderate risks. Preaching doesn't help.

* Engage Body and Mind: Chances to develop more than their cognitive skills, so they can engage their whole body and mind: mindfulness, yoga, art, music, sports...

* To Be Listened to: Deeply and consistently. Teens have novel, fresh ideas that the world needs. And they will inherit the earth.

* More Sleep! Because they're learning so much so rapidly, the teen body and brain get a huge workout. They need refreshment: about 9-10 hours of sleep daily. But as the diagram above illustrates, many teens are expected to pull off a juggling act that wears them out. The resulting sleep deprivation can lead to a downward spiral of poor choices and weakening resilience.

Mindful Books on Teens

Mindful's Teen Coverage

The Amazing, Tumultuous,Wild, Wonderful, Teenage Brain
Renowned neuropsychiatrist Dr. Dan Siegel explains the brain science behind teenage angst and how to turn parental concerns into understanding and confrontation into connection.

A Matter of Death and Life
High school seniors at The Harley School in Rochester, New York, have the option of taking a class called "hospice." Most who sign up for it don't know what they're in for, but none of them forget the experience when it's over.

All in the Same Boat
What do teenagers find when they leave behind the comforts of home (and their digital devices) to live together for five days and nights on a tiny sailboat? Themselves. Carsten Knox reports.

3 Common Myths About the Teen Brain

Mindful Kids Practice: Coming Back to the Positive

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What's Going on Inside the Teen Brain? - Mindful

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To get a copy of this graphic suitable for a poster, click here. Some 36 million people in the US are between 12 and 24 years of age-a vital period of development many neuroscientists call the age of the adolescent brain, or the teenage brain.

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Teenagers also aren't very good at reading emotion on others' faces. In addition to the obvious physical signs of adolescence, teens and 'tweens are undergoing a major neurological overhaul, which is why that perennial teen mumble "I don't know" may be closer to the truth than we'd realized.

What this means for teachers, says Philp, is that they must be both patient and persistent. The point at which teenagers tend to withdraw and ask to be left alone is exactly when it's most important to engage them.

Below, Edutopia.org discusses Philp's conclusions with him.

What is the first thing teachers need to know about the brains of their teenage students?

I think one of the things middle school teachers need to recognize is the incapability of consistency from most kids. The kids will come in one day loving you, and then the next day, with no warning, you are the total enemy.

For young teachers, this is really hard on their developing confidence. You're searching for assurance that you're doing OK, but the inconsistency with which kids treat you is really disarming. So, middle school teachers need to recognize that this is the outward manifestation of a brain that is undergoing profound changes.

Teachers often make assumptions that their directions have gotten through. But the disconnect is that the student often doesn't get it. His or her interpretation is really different.

One of the standard things I talk to teachers about in my work is that when a kid gets in trouble, the teacher will ask, "Why did you do that?" Kids will almost always say, "I don't know," and maybe that's more accurate than we thought. When teachers understand some of the rudiments of how the brain is changing, they have a lot more patience with kids.

There are so many things going on with kids -- the physical and emotional changes, sexual development, all of those things are being undertaken by a brain that isn't capable of functioning like an adult brain. A lot of kids will look at any time they have to be quizzed about how they feel, or their reasons for doing something, as a demand for introspection. That's what teachers are asking for, and parents, too. So the teenager's response is, "Leave me alone. I don't feel like thinking about this."

That sounds discouraging, as if there's nothing to do with teenagers but sit back and wait until their brains are developed enough that they can act like human beings.

We've made some assumptions about the teenage brain, but we're looking at a tremendous curve here; I'm amazed at how many kids function awfully well and do use pretty good judgment. And one has to look at it and ask, "OK, is that environmentally controlled? Is it something we can instill in others?" That's the encouraging part of this research. We're beginning to realize that, experientially, the brain is really influenced by its environment.

At about age 12, 13, 14, the brain goes through a major pruning, much as it did around age two or three. Many of the neurons have two choices, if you will: They can develop into a neural network threaded together as a result of experience, or they're pruned away.

So, in other words, if you develop a skill at a young age, you're likely to retain that ability, whereas if you don't, that skill may be much harder to develop.

Yes. Unless teenagers put together those neural networks, they may never develop successful relationships with academics, with skills of all sorts. So, if the kid is sitting in front of a TV all day and not getting experiences, acquiring skills, we have a more serious problem than anyone had realized. Probably, we've only started to realize this in the last seven or eight years.

That suggests that we need to engage teenagers, not just let them grow up on their own.

Often, we let them go and we don't want anything to do with them. But what we've known for a long time is that if we let kids do their own things, they'll first seek out adult role models, but if those are not available for them, they'll seek out teen role models.

And this is the time when, characteristically, we've given up. Parents don't attend middle school and high school events like they did in elementary school. Kids want their privacy, and a lot of parents capitulate to that. And we're looking at probably the most important developmental time for the brain.

Recently, we've seen some wonderful character-development programs, like Developmental Assets. Those programs tend to be based on behavioral studies, but I see, over the next few years, that those behaviorally based programs will be fortified by research on the adolescent brain.

What does a teenage brain need in order to learn?

In order to make any progress, a child's brain has a list of priorities. At the survival rate, kids are not learning anything. For a kid walking through South Central Los Angeles to get to Locke High School, for instance, just getting there is a real concern. In the big herding high schools where they have 2,500 or 3,000 students, many of their emotional needs are not being met.

And the brain, in order for learning and thinking to occur, must fulfill those two categories first: You've got to survive, and you've got to have your emotional needs met. And good teachers have always known this. When you walk into a good classroom, you see a comfortable, pleasant place, a place where people are welcome.

Once a classroom is safe and comfortable, what can teachers do to engage their students?

When I do my workshops, one thing I try to get across is that kids can listen only for a short time -- probably 15 minutes max, maybe 20. And you've got to find innovative ways to change the psychological state of your learners about every 20 minutes: Get them up on their feet, change the environment using music, have them interact with each other.

I encourage teachers with a variety of strategies. For instance, how can you use music effectively in the class in order to make it an emotionally welcome place? A lot of teachers use music, but the nuances of how to use it are really important. I see more teachers saying, "I can learn to control the physiological state of my learners much more by using music at the right time."

So, for instance, maybe you should play something calming when they come into the classroom, like maybe classical music?

That's the perception most people have, that you should have music playing when kids come in. But you would also want to have playlists for other kinds of music, too. When kids come in to the class, you probably want to use music with an upbeat to it, 80 beats per minute or something. Other times, you'd want to use music in transition, between activities, or when you're writing in journals, maybe 50-60 BPM.

I'm a fan of public radio, and I'm amazed at how well they can integrate little pieces of music. So I try to encourage teachers to use emotional songs when they're doing readings. You remember the Ken Burns documentary The Civil War? There's a musical theme running through it, a resounding, beautiful melodic piece. It would be a great piece of music to play in the background along with a reading of Civil War letters.

And a lot of teachers don't realize how easy this is today. With laptops, iTunes, and inexpensive speakers, it's easier than ever to use music in the classroom.

What you're advocating is a real departure from the let-me-lecture-to-you-for-45-minutes approach to teaching.

I think that's the single most important thing I want to give to teachers: Sure, your students may be giving you eye contact, but that doesn't mean you're engaging them.

Amy Standen is a former contributing editor to Edutopia. She reports on science and the environment for KQED-FM, in San Francisco.

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Teenagers also aren't very good at reading emotion on others' faces. In addition to the obvious physical signs of adolescence, teens and 'tweens are undergoing a major neurological overhaul, which is why that perennial teen mumble "I don't know" may be closer to the truth than we'd realized.

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How Teenagers' Brains Are Actually Wired Differently

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Explaining how mindfulness and the brain works can seem a daunting task, yet it can be one of the best ways to show how mindfulness works for us and how it helps our brain to function properly.

If you are in a hurry, you can scroll down to the big infographic.

So what is mindfulness? Mindfulness occurs when we pay attention to what is happening in the here and now. We observe our emotions, our thoughts, our surroundings, in an even-minded, nonjudgmental way. We apply this same focus of attention to situations both good and bad. This is being mindful.

Learning to be mindful of what's happening in the moment helps children make sound decisions rather than be ruled by their emotions.

Negative emotions can be tough for anyone to deal with. Fear and anger can hit us unexpectedly and when we do not have a prior plan for dealing with these feelings, we can be thrown off balance and react badly.

When a 4th grader reports that she felt she "was going to die" from test anxiety, she's telling the truth. The responses of her autonomic nervous system are the same whether she's taking a math test or sensing actual physical danger. - Mindful Schools

Here's what science has to say about it.

An impulsive reaction, triggered by emotions like fear or anger, rises up from the amygdala and hippocampus-the most ancient parts of our brain. These parts evolved to respond with defensive action to threatening situations.

If we can delay this reactivity, the newer pre-frontal cortex of the brain can respond from a place of reflection and thoughtfulness. The PFC (pre-frontal cortex) is associated with maturity, including regulating emotions and behaviors and making wise decisions.

Mindfulness practice, as you may have guessed, diminishes the reactivity from the amygdala and strengthens the pre-frontal cortex. ¹

THE GROWING BRAIN AND MINDFULNESS

Author and anger management clinic director Dr. Ronald Potter-Efron explains that the newest parts of our brain-and the last parts to develop as we grow-likely evolved in response to an increased propensity to live in groups. "As we have learned to live together collectively, the human brain has been spurred to grow accordingly." ²

A lot of growth is taking place in the adolescent brain, and this growth is happening at the same time that the brain is reorganizing itself.

"Part of this reorganization process," says neurobiologist Dr. Arlene Montgomery, "includes the pruning of disused neural connections. This growth and pruning are affected by environmental experiences and reshape the adolescent brain." ³

This is one of the reasons mindfulness in childhood and adolescence can be so effective: the pathways that foster empathy and impulse control are being used and strengthened, which will serve the child throughout his or her life.

The amygdala determines emotional responses by classifying sensory input as either pleasurable or threatening. Input seen as threatening is blocked by the amygdala, prompting an immediate reflexive reaction: fight, flight, or freeze. ⁴

The amygadala does not see a difference between perceived threats and actual dangers. It often triggers "false alarms" and potentially problematic reactive behavior. We sometimes freeze in stressful situations, like public speaking or when taking a test. Though neither of these activities are life-threatening, we disconnect from rational thinking and become impulsive and reactive.

Even if we have conflict resolution skills stored in memory, we might not be able to access them due to the stress response, as the amygdala hinders access to memory recall and storage.

When we have the time to consciously process sensory input, we allow the prefrontal cortex to analyze the information. Instead of an immediate, impulsive reaction, we get to choose the best response instead. ⁴

Practicing mindfulness calms the amygdala and reconnects us to our calm, clear prefrontal cortex, so that we can make thoughtful choices for how to respond. Mindfulness helps us regain access to our executive functions: the intention to pay attention, emotional regulation, body regulation, empathy, self-calm, and communications skills-even when under stress arousal.

Mindful thinking happens when the prefrontal cortex can process the information. Following your breath or counting to ten when you're angry or sad gives time for the amygdala to allow the information to flow to the prefrontal cortex to be properly analyzed.

Mindful Schools reports that research has found improvements in anxiety, cognitive functioning and self regulation among children trained in mindfulness, suggesting that the corresponding parts of the brain may be changing as well.

A basic mindfulness exercise is to teach children to focus on breathing. Being able to control their breathing can help them become less reactive when stressed. Focused breathing helps calm the body by slowing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and improving focus. Controlled breathing can override the fight, flight, or freeze response set off by the amygdala, and instead enable mindful behavior. ⁴

My two-year-old son has learned to control his breath and to focus on his breath when he is frustrated-to my great astonishment. He is often able to calm himself when something doesn't go his way and he gets agitated. He even reminds me to calm down when I'm anxious. He says "Daddy" and does a long inhale and a longer exhale. It's pretty amazing. I started teaching him mindfulness with this simple breathing exercise.

HOW TO EXPLAIN MINDFULNESS AND THE BRAIN TO CHILDREN

The Amygdala - The Jumpy Superhero

The amygdala is like the brain's super hero, protecting us from threats. It helps us to react quickly when there is danger. Sometimes it's good to react-when there's a real physical threat, like when you see a football coming your way. The amygdala simply decides that there's not enough time to think about it and makes us react quickly: you move your head away from the path of the football. In this way, the amygdala can decide whether we get to think about the information our body gathers through our senses or not.

But there's a problem. The amygdala can't see a difference between real danger and something stressful. You could say it's jumpy and that it makes mistakes.

When we're angry, sad, or stressed the amygdala thinks there's real imminent danger. We then simply react without thinking. We might say or do something we regret immediately. We might even start a fight or just freeze when we're offended, or supposed to take test, or speak in front of the class. Fear and stress shuts down our thinking in this way.

The Prefrontal Cortex - The Smart One

The part of our brain that helps us make good choices is called the prefrontal cortex, or PFC. You could call it the smart one, as it helps you make smart choices and decides what is stored in your memory.

To make good choices, the PFC needs to get the information our body gathers through the senses-sights, sounds, smells, and movements. The questions is: will the amygdala allow the PFC to analyse the information early enough?

Remember: the amygdala, the jumpy superhero, often times hinders the information from going to the prefrontal cortex and we make rash choices. This can happen when we're angry, sad, negative, stressed, or anxious.

What we want to do is to help the jumpy superhero calm down. But how?
Here's the trick.
When we're calm, the amygdala is calm and sensory information flows to the prefrontal cortex and we can make better choices. Even our memory improves when we're calm and happy. We're able to remember better and make new, lasting memories.

So, how do we calm down so that the PFC, the smart one, has time to get and analyze all the information for us so that we make better choices?

Mindfulness Practice to the Rescue

Mindfulness helps us to calm down, and this, in turn, calms the amygdala so that it allows the information flow to the prefrontal cortex-that part of our brains that helps us make good choices. When we're calm, we can more easily be mindful and make good choices.

Scientists have figured out that the prefrontal cortex is more activated following mindfulness training and our high-level functions like the intention to pay attention, emotional regulation, body regulation, our communication skills, empathy, and our ability to calm and self-soothe are more available to us.

Pretty cool, right?

The more we practice mindfulness the more we'll experience calm moments, even if we weren't trying to be mindful.

How to Do It?

When you feel overwhelmed, stop for a moment, take a few deep breaths and exhale slowly. Name the emotion you are experiencing.

Focus on your breath for five breaths. See where you can feel your breath most easily-your stomach, your chest, or your nose.

Control your breathing for a short while. Do deep belly breathing for five breaths. Put your hands on your belly and feel how it expands as you breathe in.

Multiple short mindful moments per day trains your brain to become more mindful even when you don't try to be mindful. In other words, the more you train, the easier it will be to be mindful and self-soothe when you're actually in a stressful situation.

May you be happy and healthy!

Chris Bergstrom
P.S.
I'm super excited about this!! If you'd like to get notified when our "Brain Based Mindfulness Calm Down Kit with Amy, Tex and Hippo" is available then sign up below and I'll email you when it's done. It will help you explain the brain in a playful and engaging way with printable characters and offer activities that can be used immediately with kids to help them self-regulate; focus, feel better and calm down :-)

You can sign up below:

Chris Bergstrom is a bestselling mindfulness author, a leader in the field of mindfulness, the founder of BlissfulKids.com, a blog dedicated to children's mindfulness, and a dad who is thrilled to practice mindfulness with his son. He is a certified mindfulness facilitator and trained to teach mindfulness to students in K-12. He's also known as "the dad who tried 200+ mindfulness activities" and has taught meditation for more than 15 years.

Sources:

1 Mindful Schools - http://www.mindfulschools.org/about-mindfulness/research/
2 Healing the Angry Brain - http://www.academia.edu/5660269/Healing_the_Angry_Brain
3 Neurobiology Essentials for Clinicians: What Every Therapist Needs to Know - Montgomery, A. (2013). Neurobiology Essentials for Clinicians: What Every Therapist Needs to Know. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, p. 198.
4 Mindup - http://thehawnfoundation.org/mindup/
5 The Whole Brain Child, Dan Siegel - http://www.amazon.com/Whole-Brain-Child-Revolutionary-Strategies-Developing/dp/0553386697/ & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vESKrzvgA40

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Mindfulness and the Brain-How to Explain It to Children - Blissful Kids

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Explaining how mindfulness and the brain works can seem a daunting task, yet it can be one of the best ways to show how mindfulness works for us and how it helps our brain to function properly. If you are in a hurry, you can scroll down to the big infographic.

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How to Manage Cell Phones in the Classroom

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How to Manage Cell Phones in the Classroom

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When I ask the students why they are so attached to their devices with the small (some aren't so small) screens, I invariably get the response, "It's my life."

I just don't get it and probably never will, but here is my attempt at understanding. After careful observation, I have determined that the cell phones are analogous to what happened when the Walkman first appeared on the scene for the older generation. A Walkman was a portable cassette player that sometimes came with a radio.

Students could conveniently take their music with them and also conveniently tune out any undesirable noise. Within this cocoon of music, students feel safe and protected. "I study better with my music" is a frequent response to "Please take the earbuds out." It doesn't matter how much research you share about the brain not being able to focus on more than one thing at a time, as soon as you turn your back, the earbuds will be back in.

They even have hoodies with built-in earbuds instead of drawstrings so that the students can wall themselves off with little chance of detection. They have thousands of songs on their playlist. It seems like an appendage to their bodies (as with many adults, as well).

The Texting Frenzy

Are you tired of seeing students text each other while sitting side by side? Lol. Or how about the sly student who is writing with pen at his desk while texting with the other hand under the desk? Are you frustrated by the text language and spelling that creeps into student assignments? Who are they texting? Is it other students that should be paying attention in class? I was shocked when I looked at my son's texting count -- over five thousand in one month! That's roughly one text for every three minutes he was awake. For some students that is a low number.

Accepting Reality

Phones at school are inevitable. Should we embrace the "bring your own technology" (BYOT) model or the extreme "you take it out and I take it away!" policy? How do you monitor and keep 30 phones busy doing productive work? What do you do with the few kids that do not have phones? On the other hand, is keeping a phoneless classroom worth the hassle and effort of being the phone ogre? Can you have both? No easy answer for this is found anywhere in blogosphere.

Whatever you decide, you cannot turn a blind eye to tackling this challenge -- school-wide and in the classroom. Perhaps the best thing you could do for yourself this summer is craft your classroom cell phone policy.

If you choose BYOT, students have to understand beforehand that using their phone has an educational purpose and what the consequences are for straying from that purpose. Then you have to enforce it, which means constant surveillance as you walk around, looking at every phone or tablet.

Deciding on a Cell Phone Policy

Establishing a no cell phone zone in your classroom requires a few things. First off, you need support from your administration, because you will possibly be sending repeat offenders to the office. You need also pervasive reminders of your policy on the classroom walls and in your lesson-framing pep talks. Perhaps the most important element is minimal downtime in your learning activities, because the temptation to sneak a look is just too strong.

While many schools still have strict phone policies, some schools ignore the policies in place and follow don't ask, don't tell. As long as a student is not causing problems, they can use their phones as much as they want outside of class, and each teacher has to determine how much phone use goes on in class. Cell phones in the classroom can be a significant discipline problem and classroom management struggle if clear and explicit guidelines are not established the first day. Every teacher's tolerance for phone usage varies.

But as an administrator, if I walk in and see earbuds and phones out during direct instruction, I see a problem that needs to be fixed. I am curious to hear your thoughts on cell phones in the classroom and the policies at your school. Please share in the comments section below.

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How to Manage Cell Phones in the Classroom

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When I ask the students why they are so attached to their devices with the small (some aren't so small) screens, I invariably get the response, "It's my life." I just don't get it and probably never will, but here is my attempt at understanding.

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Common Sense Education provides educators and students with the resources they need to harness the power of technology for learning and life. Find a free K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum, reviews of popular EdTech apps, and resources for protecting student privacy.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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Teaching Mindfulness to Teens: 5 Ways to Get Buy-In 

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Teaching Mindfulness to Teens: 5 Ways to Get Buy-In 

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Early in my teaching career, I read that to be a successful high school teacher, you have to be able to motivate a sofa.

Fortunately, the adolescents that I work with generally have more drive and initiative than a piece of upholstery. But it might take some work to convince teenagers of the value of slowing down, disconnecting, and breathing.

I often share practices for teaching mindfulness to young children, but I have been asked many times for ideas for those of you who work with or have older children. Today, we're starting with square one: getting "buy-in" when teaching mindfulness to teens.

1. Model Mindfulness

We won't be able to convince adolescents of the benefits of a mindfulness practice without modeling it ourselves. It doesn't mean we always need to be paragons of contented bliss, but we should demonstrate our ability to manage stress and respond, not react, to setbacks.

A few months ago, as I handed out a revised course calendar with changes necessitated by losing five days of school to the cold weather, one of my students said, "You seem so stressed out about this! Normally you're so chill!"

Her comment actually surprised me. I'm pretty intense and active when I teach {who wouldn't get fired up about European history?} and I have high standards in my classroom, but apparently I still demonstrate a "chill" demeanor.

If we want students to take mindfulness seriously, they need to see it in action. Those millennial Holden Caulfields can spot a phony a mile away.

2. What's in it for Them?

Teenagers may see mindfulness as completely unrelated to their busy and connected lives. But there are many ways that adolescents {and adults!} can benefit from a mindfulness and meditation practice. A few research nuggets that you could share with them:

studies show that students who meditate before an exam perform better than students who do not

meditation helps improve performance on standardized tests, such as the GRE

meditation can improve concentration

meditation can help with anxiety, stress, and depression {three things I see all too frequently in my students}

For more information about the benefits of mindfulness and meditation, click here.

3. Teach Teens About Their Brain

I also teach Psychology to juniors and seniors, and they are fascinated with learning how their brains work. We can teach teens how mindfulness can help their brains function more skillfully. This TEDx talk by Dan Siegel, author of Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, has a great demonstration that you can use with teens {or even younger kids} to teach them about the parts of the brain, using their hands as a model.

The demonstration focuses on three structures of the brain: the brainstem (our "reptilian" brain, responsible for breathing, heart-rate, etc.), the limbic system/amygdala (our "mammalian" brain, involved in emotion and memory), and the cortex (our "human" brain, responsible for thinking and self-regulation). The hand model reveals how close the amygdala is to the pre-frontal cortex, and how mindfulness can help the thinking part of the brain process the raw emotion of the limbic system. And that can lead to better decision-making - it allows a mindful pause, a skillful response instead of an unthinking reaction.

We can teach teens that mindfulness is a form of training for their brains: meditation has actually been shown to increase gray matter in the portion of the brain responsible for self-awareness and compassion. Meditation can play a role in the neuroplasticity of the brain - our experiences can actually transform our brains, the way exercise can transform our bodies.

4. Teach Teens About Their Mind

When I teach mindfulness to students, I use the analogy of the monkey mind. I give examples of how they can be sitting in class, but their mind wanders to their job, or thoughts of the weekend, and then they realize after a few minutes that they have been miles away.

When I did a meditation exercise with my students during the stressful week of finals before spring break, I explained that a lot of our anxiety is truly "in our heads" - our stress comes from our worrying brains ruminating on all the worst possible scenarios. I gave this example: "You may think, 'I'm going to fail the final, my parents will be furious with me, I'll never get into a good college, and I'll be homeless in five years!' " One student exclaimed, "Omigosh, have you been inside my head!?!"

When we practice mindfulness, we learn that much of the chatter of the mind is just that: chatter. It's not reality; it's worry, it's anxiety, it's baseless projection. Mindfulness teaches teenagers to recognize the downward spiral of thoughts before it gets out of hand, perhaps learning to label it as simply "worrying." They can acknowledge the anxiety without getting caught up in it, without it leading to the rumination that ultimately ruins their mood.

Adolescents may think that's just what minds do ... and it is. But there are ways to approach the mind skillfully. This is often eye-opening to teens!

5. There's an App for That!

I realize there's a bit of irony in recommending apps to practice mindfulness, especially to get teens to practice disconnection from their uber-connected cyberworlds. I use the Insight Meditation Timer {at right} when we do meditations in class, and students always want to know what app I am using. They love seeing the map graphic on the Insight Timer that shows all the locations worldwide where people are meditating. And they love that once they've disconnected, they can quickly reconnect by posting their meditative accomplishments on Twitter and Facebook. It's probably not how the Buddha intended it, but I don't think he'd mind.
Here are some of my favorite meditation apps for teens:
Insight Meditation Timer. This is the app I use ... I guess I love seeing the map of all the meditators in the world, too!

Stop, Breathe, and Think. My students were excited when I showed them this app because it opens with a short "interview" where the user selects several words to describe how they are feeling, and then the app recommends guided meditations for their current state.

Smiling Mind. Designed for adolescents {and my students generally love anything with an Australian or British accent!}

Take a Break! Not necessarily just for teens, but it provides short guided meditations for stress relief. Young people just starting out with meditation may prefer guidance. And this comes from The Meditation Oasis, which is awesome!

I am wholeheartedly convinced that we can all benefit from incorporating mindfulness practice into our busy lives, especially teenagers. You don't need to be able to motivate sofas, but I'm hoping these tips help you encourage the adolescents in your life to get on a cushion, or even a couch, and spend some time in digital detox, in stillness, in mindfulness.

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Teaching Mindfulness to Teens: 5 Ways to Get "Buy-In" - Left Brain Buddha

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Early in my teaching career, I read that to be a successful high school teacher, you have to be able to motivate a sofa. Fortunately, the adolescents that I work with generally have more drive and initiative than a piece of upholstery.

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A teacher shares how she implements daily mindful moments and their positive impact on classroom culture.

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When I introduce this idea to teachers, I often hear concerns that they will be wasting valuable time doing nothing. It's important to recognize that during the pauses, you and your students are not "doing nothing." Your students may be considering several alternatives; they may be mulling a picture over in their mind; they may be making associations, comparisons, and contrasts. They may be trying to drudge up the right word from their vocabulary. When we give them this time, their processing becomes richer, deeper, and more abstract. When you rush through a lesson, you may deliver content more quickly and efficiently, but your students may not absorb the content very well, if at all.

The added bonus of these pause punctuations is that they give us as teachers a few moments to practice mindfulness. When this becomes an intentional part of our lessons, we can take the time to notice our body in space, the whole classroom, each student, and the small details that surrounds us, in the present moment. We give ourselves a short break-a micro-vacation from the constant activity of a busy classroom.

We can use the time to tune in to ourselves and our students. We can ask ourselves, "How am I feeling right now? How are the students feeling? What's happening right now? What do my students need? How can I explain this better?" By taking mindful pauses, we are modeling mindful behavior for our students and letting us all have some time to process the information we are exploring together.

Typically we pause after we ask a question and before we call on someone to answer. Most of the time, this pause is only about one second long. Students who process information quickly are at an advantage under these conditions. They tend to be the ones who always raise their hands immediately. While the speedy students are answering the question, the slower students are still trying to process the question, so they may not hear and comprehend the answer or be able to assimilate it into their existing knowledge. If the quick pace of the session continues, some students may feel left behind.

However, educational researchers have discovered that if the pause between the teacher's question and the student's answer lasts between three and five seconds, significant changes occur in student behavior (Rowe, 1987). Students are more likely to respond appropriately to the questions, answer the questions correctly, and offer longer and more complex answers. There are fewer "I don't know" or non-answer responses. Over time, many more students show higher levels of engagement (Honea, 1982; Swift & Gooding, 1983) and achievement test scores and school retention levels increase (Tobin & Capie, 1982).

Wait time has a positive effect on teachers as well. With conscious use of wait time, teachers' questioning strategies become more varied and flexible, and they ask follow-up questions that require more complex information processing and higher-order thinking (Casteel & Stahl, 1973; Rowe, 1972; Stahl, 1990; Tobin, 1987).

Robert Stahl (1990) identified eight categories of wait time. When we formally introduce wait time, these periods of silence are trans- formed from periods of awkwardness into valuable moments of silence. The first category is the type of wait time we've already discussed: the time between a teacher's question and the student's answer. The other seven are as follows:

Within-student's-response pause time. This is a three-second or longer pause that occurs when a student pauses or hesitates during the process of delivering a response to a teacher's question. Teachers tend to interrupt students when they are thinking through their answers and take time to pause. However, when given the time, students often follow these periods of silence by successfully completing their responses.

Post-student's-response wait time. This is a pause after a student has finished a response and other students are considering adding comments or reactions. This gives the other students time to think about what was said and to decide if they have anything to add.

Student pause time. This is a pause after a student has initiated a question, statement, or comment but doesn't complete the thought. It may seem strange to formalize this type of pause, but this situation arises more often than we might realize because the tendency is to ignore the question rather than allow for a pause. This happens to me a lot. I have a thought, idea, or question. I'm getting ready to tell someone, and my mind goes blank. I can't remember what I was going to say. When this happens to one of our students, we can give ourselves and the student a little time to recover, rather than just letting it drop.

Teacher pause time. This is a pause that the teacher intentionally initiates to consider what is happening, appraise the situation, and consider the best course of action. A particularly beneficial time for a teacher to pause is when a student has asked a question and the answer requires a complex answer. Taking time to consider how to frame the answer can improve student learning.

Within-teacher-presentation pause time. This is a pause that the teacher intentionally initiates during lecture presentations or other extended periods of content output. The teacher intentionally stops the flow of information to give students three to five seconds of silence to absorb the information and to consolidate their thinking. This type of pause requires no response from the students; it's simply processing time. Using silence this way, teachers can chunk their content into bite-sized pieces to help students absorb and process the information better.

Student task completion work time. This is pause time intended to allow students to complete an academic task that demands undivided attention. The length of the pause should be related to the time it takes to complete a task. The challenge involved in this type of pause is how to handle the variation in completion time among students. If students learn the value of pausing and some of them finish early, they can use the time to extend their thinking about the subject in some way.

Impact pause time. This is the use of pause time to create impact or drama. When we pause, we can create a mood of anticipation. A dramatic pause can generate feelings of suspense and expectation.

Wait time can be challenging. Many of us get so excited about sharing our own thoughts and ideas that we tend to interrupt students, leaving no space in the discussion for students to process information and respond thoughtfully. In the skill-building practices at the end of this chapter, you will learn more about how to apply wait time in your classroom.

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Slowing Down to Learn: Mindful Pauses That Can Help Student Engagement | KQED

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When I introduce this idea to teachers, I often hear concerns that they will be wasting valuable time doing nothing. It's important to recognize that during the pauses, you and your students are not "doing nothing." Your students may be considering several alternatives; they may be mulling a picture over in their mind; they may be making associations, comparisons, and contrasts.

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Brain Breaks and Focused-Attention Practices

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Brain Breaks and Focused-Attention Practices

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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When we think of mindfulness, we may not think of teenagers.

But a growing body of evidence suggests that mindfulness practice could be beneficial to teens, helping them cultivate empathy, as well as skills for concentration and impulse control. In short, mindfulness can help adolescents navigate the challenges of adolescence.

As parents or teachers, we can introduce young people to the practice of mindfulness, or purposeful, nonjudgmental awareness. It might take some work, however, to convince teenagers of the value of slowing down, disconnecting from their digital devices and simply breathing.

So let's start with square one: getting "buy-in" when teaching mindfulness to teens.

1. Model Mindfulness
We can't show adolescents the benefits of a mindfulness practice without modeling it ourselves. This doesn't mean we always need to be paragons of contented bliss, but we should demonstrate our ability to manage stress and respond, not react, to setbacks.

Last year, as I handed out a revised course calendar to my high school students (due to having lost five days of school to the cold weather), one of my students said, "You seem so stressed out about this! Normally you're so chill!"

Her comment actually surprised me. I'm pretty intense and active when I teach (who wouldn't get fired up about European history?), but apparently, I still demonstrate a "chill" demeanor.

If we want students to take mindfulness seriously, they need to see it in action. They need to see us paying attention and handling challenges skillfully. Those millennial Holden Caulfields can spot a phony a mile away.

2. What's in it for Them?
Teenagers may see mindfulness as completely unrelated to their busy and connected lives. Here are a few research findings that you could share with them:

(For more information about the benefits of mindfulness and meditation, click here.)

3. Teach Teens About Their Brain
Adolescents are fascinated about how their brains work. We can teach teens how mindfulness instruction is like getting the owner's manual for their brain. This TEDx talk by Dan Siegel, author of Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain, has a great demonstration that you can use with teens (or even younger kids) to teach them about the parts of the brain, using their hands as a model. (The demonstration starts at about the 12:00 mark).

The demonstration focuses on three structures of the brain: the brainstem (our "reptilian" brain, responsible for breathing, heart-rate, etc.), the limbic system/amygdala (our "mammalian" brain, involved in emotion and memory) and the cortex (our "human" brain, responsible for thinking and self-regulation). The hand model reveals how close the amygdala is to the pre-frontal cortex, and how mindfulness can help the thinking part of the brain process the raw emotion of the limbic system. And that can lead to better decision-making -- it allows a mindful pause, a skillful response instead of an unthinking reaction.

We can teach teens that mindfulness is a form of training for their brains: meditation has actually been shown to increase gray matter in the portion of the brain responsible for self-awareness and compassion. Mindfulness can play a role in the neuroplasticity of the brain -- our experiences can actually transform our brains, the way exercise can transform our bodies.

4. Teach Teens About Their Mind
When I teach mindfulness to my high school students, I use the analogy of the monkey mind, constantly jumping around from branch to branch, thought to thought.

When I did a mindfulness exercise with my students during a stressful week of finals, I explained that a lot of our anxiety is truly "in our heads" -- our stress comes from our worrying brains ruminating on all the worst possible scenarios. I gave this example: "You may think, 'I'm going to fail the final, my parents will be furious with me, I'll never get into a good college, and I'll never find a job!'" One student exclaimed, "Omigosh, have you been inside my head!?!"

When we practice mindfulness, we learn that much of the chatter of the mind is just that: chatter. It's not reality -- it's worry, it's anxiety, it's baseless projection. Mindfulness teaches teenagers to be aware of their thoughts, perhaps simply labeling them as "worrying." They can acknowledge anxiety, without getting caught up in the negative thoughts it generates.

Adolescents can discover that there are ways to approach the mind skillfully. This is often eye-opening!

5. There's an App for That!
I realize there's a bit of irony in recommending apps to practice mindfulness, especially to get teens to practice disconnection from their uber-connected cyberworlds. I use the Insight Meditation Timer when we practice mindful breathing in class, and students always want to know what app I am using. They love seeing the map graphic on the Insight Timer that shows all the locations worldwide where people are meditating.
Here are some of my favorite meditation apps for teens:
Stop, Breathe, and Think. My students like this app because it opens with a short "interview" where the user selects several words to describe how they are feeling, and then the app recommends guided meditations for their current state.

Smiling Mind. Designed for adolescents (and my students generally love anything with an Australian or British accent!)

Take a Break! Not necessarily just for teens, but it provides short guided meditations for stress relief.

I am wholeheartedly convinced that we can all benefit from incorporating mindfulness practice into our busy lives, especially teenagers. I hope these tips help you encourage the adolescents in your life to spend some time in digital detox, in stillness and in mindfulness.
This post originally appeared on Sarah's blog Left Brain Buddha. You can follow Sarah on Facebook, Pinterest, and Google+.

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Teaching Mindfulness to Teenagers: 5 Ways to Get Started

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When we think of mindfulness, we may not think of teenagers. But a growing body of evidence suggests that mindfulness practice could be beneficial to teens, helping them cultivate empathy, as well as skills for concentration and impulse control. In short, mindfulness can help adolescents navigate the challenges of adolescence.

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We know mindfulness is good for us. Mindfulness allows us to be present in our parenting, choosing a skillful response, instead of succumbing to our visceral reactions.

Mindfulness is also good for our kids. There is an emerging body of research that indicates mindfulness can help children improve their abilities to pay attention, to calm down when they are upset and to make better decisions. In short, it helps with emotional regulation and cognitive focus. Do I even need to ask if you want that for your kids?

So where do we start? How can we teach these important skills to our children?
First things first...
Establish your own practice. You would have trouble teaching your children ballet if you had never danced. To authentically teach mindfulness to your children, you need to practice it yourself. You can start slowly with a meditation practice of just five to 10 minutes a day. Find ways to incorporate mindfulness into your daily activities. Don't let this step intimidate you -- you're probably practicing a lot of mindful habits already!

Keep it simple. Mindfulness is a big word for young kids to understand. Put simply, mindfulness is awareness. It is noticing our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and anything that is around us and happening right now.

Check your expectations. Are you expecting mindfulness to eliminate tantrums? to make your active child calm? to make your house quiet? If so, you are likely to be disappointed. While feeling calm or being quiet are nice side-effects of mindfulness, they are not the ultimate purpose.

The purpose of teaching mindfulness to our children is to give them skills to develop their awareness of their inner and outer experiences, to recognize their thoughts as "just thoughts," to understand how emotions manifest in their bodies, to recognize when their attention has wandered, and to provide tools for impulse control. It is not a panacea, and it will not completely get rid of what is, frankly, normal kid behavior, like tantrums and loudness and whining and exuberance and arguing...

Don't force it. If your kids aren't interested in your lesson or activity, drop it. This is a good time for you to practice non-attachment to outcomes!
Now that we've got the preliminaries out of the way, here are some suggestions for how you can begin to introduce mindfulness to your children:
1. Listen to the bell. An easy way for children to practice mindfulness is to focus on paying attention to what they can hear. You can use a singing bowl, a bell, a set of chimes or a phone app that has sounds on it. Tell your children that you will make the sound, and they should listen carefully until they can no longer hear the sound (which is usually 30 seconds to a minute).

2. Practice with a breathing buddy. For young children, an instruction to simply "pay attention to the breath" can be hard to follow. In this Edutopia video, Daniel Goleman describes a 2nd-grade classroom that does a "breathing buddy" exercise: Each student grabs a stuffed animal, and then lies down on their back with their buddy on their belly. They focus their attention on the rise and fall of the stuffed animal as they breathe in and out.

3. Make your walks mindful. One of my children's favorite things to do in the summer is a "noticing walk." We stroll through our neighborhood and notice things we haven't seen before. We'll designate one minute of the walk where we are completely silent and simply pay attention to all the sounds we can hear -- frogs, woodpeckers, a lawnmower. We don't even call it "mindfulness," but that's what it is.

4. Establish a gratitude practice. I believe gratitude is a fundamental component of mindfulness, teaching our children to appreciate the abundance in their lives, as opposed to focusing on all the toys and goodies that they crave. My family does this at dinner when we each share one thing we are thankful for. It is one of my favorite parts of the day.

5. Try the SpiderMan meditation! My 5-year-old son is in to all things superheroes, and this SpiderMan meditation is right up his alley. This meditation teaches children to activate their "spidey-senses" and their ability to focus on all they can smell, taste, and hear in the present moment. Such a clever idea!

6. Check your personal weather report. In Sitting Still Like a Frog, Eline Snel encourages children to "summon the weather report that best describes [their] feelings at the moment." Sunny, rainy, stormy, calm, windy, tsunami? This activity allows children to observe their present state without overly identifying with their emotions. They can't change the weather outside, and we can't change our emotions or feelings either. All we can change is how we relate to them. As Snel describes it, children can recognize, "I am not the downpour, but I notice that it is raining; I am not a scaredy-cat, but I realize that sometimes I have this big scared feeling somewhere near my throat."

7. Make a Mind Jar. A mind jar is a bit like a snow globe - shake it up and watch the storm! But soon, if we sit and breathe and simply watch the disturbance, it settles. As do our minds.

8. Practice mindful eating. The exercise of mindfully eating a raisin or a piece of chocolate is a staple of mindfulness education, and is a great activity for kids. You can find a script for a seven-minute mindful eating exercise for children here.

Above all, remember to have fun and keep it simple. You can provide your children with many opportunities to add helpful practices to their toolkit -- some of them will work for them and some won't. But it's fun to experiment!
A version of this post first appeared on Sarah's blog Left Brain Buddha. You can follow Sarah on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.

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We know mindfulness is good for us. Mindfulness allows us to be present in our parenting, choosing a skillful response, instead of succumbing to our visceral reactions. Mindfulness is also good for our kids. There is an emerging body of research that indicates mindfulness can help children improve their abilities to pay attention, to calm down when they are upset and to make better decisions.

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Irresistible: Why We Can't Stop Checking, Scrolling, Clicking and Watching

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Irresistible: Why We Can't Stop Checking, Scrolling, Clicking and Watching

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The school near the GP practice where I work held an internet safety evening recently, subtitled "How to Keep Your Child Safe Online". It was in the school hall, hosted by police officers, and explained the role of something called the "Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre". The blurb on the leaflet promised parents of children between five and 11 would learn more about the dangers of the internet, and in particular, social media. I'm not sure when it became normal for kids to have to cope with malicious online messages, and be savvy about paedophiles masquerading as peers. In Irresistible, Adam Alter makes the frightening case that even without these hazards, modern connectivity threatens the health of not just our children, but everyone.

A child I knew of killed herself after a humiliating post was shared widely around her school. An adolescent patient told me that he wakes three or four times each night to check his phone for messages, and struggles to concentrate in class. Last week a social worker told me that children in an "at-risk" family were being neglected - the mum lying on the sofa playing with her phone while the kids put themselves to bed. I know a six-year-old who walks with his hands held to his chest, thumbs blurred by movement, adopting his dad's habitual posture, though he doesn't yet have a phone.

Alter teaches marketing and psychology at New York University and wants to show us how smartphones, Netflix, and online games such as World of Warcraft are exquisitely and expensively engineered to hook us in. "As a kid I was terrified of drugs," he writes. "I had a recurring nightmare that someone would force me to take heroin and that I'd become addicted." It's unsurprising he's become a psychologist of addiction, and his intoxicant of choice is the internet. In a chapter subtitled "Never Get High on Your Own Supply" he makes the observation that neither Steve Jobs of Apple nor Evan Williams of Twitter have allowed their children to play with touch screens.

A couple of years ago a programmer called Kevin Holesh, worried that his own screen time was getting out of control, wrote an app called Moment, which tracks how long a user is interacting with a screen (it doesn't count time on phone calls). The results were startling, even among those concerned enough to download the app: for 88% it was more than an hour a day, with the average being three hours. The typical user checked their phone 39 times in 24 hours. By comparison, in 2008, before smartphones became widespread, adults spent just 18 minutes a day on their phone.

Why does any of this matter? Surely time being informed, engaged and entertained by our phones is time well spent? Not necessarily: "life is more convenient than ever", writes Alter, "but convenience has also weaponised temptation". Childhood has changed. Alter quotes a young girl: "I don't feel like a child any more... at the end of sixth grade [when all her peers got phones] I just stopped doing everything I normally did. Playing games, art recess, playing with toys, all of it, done."

Etymologically speaking, to be addicted is to be a slave, and behavioural addiction is "a deep attachment to an experience that is harmful and difficult to do without". Alter is good on the distinction between an addiction (the indulgence of which brings pleasure) and a compulsion (the indulgence of which merely brings relief from restless anxiety). For many of us, checking phones has become compulsive.

The middle part of Alter's book is illuminating on the ways that designers engineer behavioural addiction. He examines goal-setting, and why users of Fitbits often exercise to the point of injury; the dangers of inconsistent but rewarding feedback (counting those "likes"); the importance of a sense of progress (such as counting followers, or advancing through a game). In a chapter emphasising gaming he examines the addictive power of escalating difficulty (remember Tetris?). There are a fascinating few pages on cliffhangers, and the power of streaming TV. As to social interaction: "a brain raised on online friendships can never fully adjust to interactions in the real world", he writes, and refers to a 2012 paper, which suggested that a smartphone, placed idly in a room, can impoverish the relationship between two randomly assigned partners even if they don't touch it. The paper concluded that "mobile communication devices such as phones may, by their mere presence, paradoxically hold the potential to facilitate as well as to disrupt human bonding and intimacy", presumably because they represent the possibility of connection with absent others.

In the 1970s it was shown that pigeons would peck a bar more frenetically if the reward delivered was unpredictable. A squirrel monkey in a cage, with a wire into the pleasure centre of its brain, will ignore food and water in order to go on stimulating the wire. These neuropsychology experiments are well known, but Alter retells them to illustrate how the latest technology traps us in a lab cage of connectivity. For an addict, there's little opportunity to escape.

Some will find this shrill and alarmist - new technology has always had its catastrophisers. It may have been that the girl who killed herself would have done so without the public shaming that followed her post; there have always been neglectful parents; my teenage patient might have struggled to concentrate without being woken by his phone. Socrates said that writing would make us all forgetful; Caxton's printing press destroyed the economy of scribes; television was condemned for vulgarising and trivialising entertainment. Connectivity is here to stay, and Alter suggests that parents in conflict with their kids over it would do well to stay approachable, calm, informed and realistic, and remember that technology brings solutions along with problems. It's easy to monitor usage or block certain sites, and have the likes and retweets hidden on your social media. It's worth remembering, too, that the status quo won't last long: tablet computers have only been around for seven years, smartphones for nine, and within 10 years both may well have gone the way of pagers.

What's the next big thing? Probably virtual reality, currently in its infancy. Imagine how addictive news will be when you can walk alongside each foreign correspondent. Imagine how addictive games will be when they put you into the scene. Facebook paid $2bn for Oculus VR, and is investing heavily in its applications. Most of us have seen families out for a meal ignoring one another while each strokes a screen; a decade from now they may all be wearing headsets.
Gavin Francis's Adventures in Human Being was winner of the Saltire prize for nonfiction last year.
* Irresistible by Adam Alter is published by Bodley Head (£18.99). To order a copy for £16.14 go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of £1.99
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Irresistible: Why We Can't Stop Checking, Scrolling, Clicking and Watching - review

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The school near the GP practice where I work held an internet safety evening recently, subtitled "How to Keep Your Child Safe Online". It was in the school hall, hosted by police officers, and explained the role of something called the "Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre".

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Social Emotional Health is important for all classrooms. Learn how you can build social emotional lesson plans, and integrate social emotional components into subject specific lessons.

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Can you be addicted to your smartphone? Various studies and polls have certainly suggested yes over the years. But how serious is this addiction? According to a Baylor University study, it can actually be as addicting as drugs and alcohol for some.

The head of the study, Professor James Robert, says that people can be addicted to behaviors and that habitual cellphone users can begin to depend on their phone in ways that seem quite similar to how people respond to drugs. For example, spending time away from the phone can make them feel anxious or panicky, looking a bit like withdrawal. A dead battery can cause right-out chaos and anxiety. Furthermore, a number of addicted smartphone users find that cellphone use can lift their moods, and that it takes an increasing amount of time to get the same level of enjoyment from their phone than it did when they first started using a smartphone.

According to a Baylor University study, it can actually be as addicting as drugs and alcohol for some.

Just as some drug users become so hooked that it puts a strain on their personal, social, and professional lives, the same can happen for true "smartphone addicts". They can find themselves ignoring work, children, and other responsibilities just to check their Facebook feed one more time, or to play that extra bit of Clash of Clans. We've all seen the cell phone zombies walking (or bumping) across the road. Hell, we've probably almost hit one or two while driving (hopefully not because we were also on our phones...). So it's pretty obvious addiction is real.

Of course, not everyone who uses a phone "a lot" is necessarily a 'true addict' to the point of concern. At the moment, there really isn't a good scale for measuring all the factors involved in cell phone addiction. That said, for those who experiencing "withdrawal" when away from their phones and who find they are spending excess time with their mobiles, you might want to at least reevaluate your situation and decide if you're spending too much time on your phone.

Honestly though, as long as it doesn't get in the way of your personal or professional goals, you probably aren't really 'addicted' to the level that the study reflects on. For the record, the average man is said to use his phone about 8.5 hours a day, with the average woman clocking in around 10 hours.

For those who would like a "detox" from their phone habits, there are at least a few apps that can help.

For those who would like a "detox" from their phone habits, there are at least a few apps that can help. While it seems a bit ironic and counterintuitive, a number of apps can be found on the Google Play store designed to keep us away from our phones. Probably one of the best known is called FlipD, which basically allows you to set periods of time where you are locked out of your phone. During those times you can only call three special contacts, and all messages are auto-responded with the message of your choice. Once per session you can get a 60-second "free pass" where you can check out Facebook or do something else you absolutely can't wait on.

There are other apps out there that offer a similiar experience, though they may also focus on tracking how much time you spend, such as BreakFree and Phone Addict Free.

Do these apps actually help? Possibly, at least according to a Psychotherapist by the name of Robert Weiss. He says the best thing to do is first identify what it is you are craving from your phone: games, social media, work. Those are probably the real addiction issues. That said, he states that "using an app to calm yourself, distract yourself, soothe yourself is not the same as getting away from tech, but boy it's a great way to take a few minutes out of your day and find some peace. Who doesn't need that?"

Do you know anyone that is addicted to the point where it is unhealthy? Do you feel we rely too much on our mobile phones these days, or no? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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New study claims smartphone addiction is similar to drug addiction

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Can you be addicted to your smartphone? Various studies and polls have certainly suggested yes over the years. But how serious is this addiction? According to a Baylor University study, it can actually be as addicting as drugs and alcohol for some.

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Many educators are introducing meditation into the classroom as a means of improving kids' attention and emotional regulation.

A five-minute walk from the rickety, raised track that carries the 5 train through the Bronx, the English teacher Argos Gonzalez balanced a rounded metal bowl on an outstretched palm. His class-a mix of black and Hispanic students in their late teens, most of whom live in one of the poorest districts in New York City-by now were used to the sight of this unusual object: a Tibetan meditation bell.

"Today we're going to talk about mindfulness of emotion," Gonzalez said with a hint of a Venezuelan accent. "You guys remember what mindfulness is?" Met with quiet stares, Gonzalez gestured to one of the posters pasted at the back of the classroom, where the students a few weeks earlier had brainstormed terms describing the meaning of "mindfulness." There were some tentative mumblings: "being focused," "being aware of our surroundings."

Gonzalez nodded. "Right. But it's also being aware of our feelings, our emotions, and how they impact us."

Arturo A. Schomburg Satellite Academy is what is known in New York City as a transfer school, a small high school designed to re-engage students who have dropped out or fallen behind. This academy occupies two floors of a hulking, grey building that's also home to two other public schools. For the most part, Gonzalez told me, the kids who come here genuinely want to graduate, but attendance is their biggest barrier to success. On the day I visited, one of Gonzalez's students had just been released from jail; one recently had an abortion; one had watched a friend bleed to death from a gunshot wound the previous year. Between finding money to put food on the table and dealing with unstable family members, these students' minds are often crowded with concerns more pressing than schoolwork.

Still holding the bowl, Gonzalez continued with the day's lesson. "I'm going to say a couple of words to you. You're not literally going to feel that emotion, but the word is going to trigger something, it's going to make you think of something or feel something. Try to explore it."

The slightly built, 30-something Gonzalez, who wears a wide smile and a scruffy beard, first learned about mindfulness from his wife, a yoga teacher in schools around the city. His students referred to him by his first name, and Gonzalez addressed them just as informally-greeting them in the morning with a high five and a "Sup," or "How you doing, bro?" or even "Hey, mamma." He told me he strives to make school relevant-explaining what a "motif" is by comparing it to the hook of a rap song, for example-and believes in the value of hands-on teaching, emailing students individually to check in when they don't show up.

"First, sit up straight, put your feet flat on the ground. Let your eyes close." Gonzalez demonstrated as he instructed. Most of the 15 or so students followed suit-though a few scribbled surreptitiously to finish overdue assignments. Gonzalez tapped the bowl and a rich, metallic sound rang out. The class fell quiet as the note reverberated.

"Take a deep breath into your belly. As you breathe in and breathe out, notice that your breath is going to be stronger in a certain part of your body. Maybe it's your belly, your chest, or your nose. We'll begin with trying to count to 10 breaths."

There was silence but for the hiss of the 5 train pulling into the station, the clunk of garbage cans, the faint siren of a police car.

"If you get lost in thought, it's okay. Just come back and count again. Whether you get up to 10 or not doesn't really matter. It's just a way to focus [your] mind."

It may not be the typical way to start an English class, but Gonzalez's students were familiar with these five-minute mindfulness exercises-from counting breaths and focusing on the sensations of breathing, to visualizing thoughts and feelings-that he uses to help train their attention, quiet their thoughts, and regulate their emotions.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, the biologist who first coined the term "mindfulness" in the '70s, defines it as a state of mind: the act of "paying attention on purpose" to the present moment, with a "non-judgmental" attitude. But mindfulness is really a secular philosophy and set of techniques adapted from thousands-of-years-old Buddhist meditation traditions-ones that only recently landed in mainstream Western consciousness. It was Kabat-Zinn who first formally brought mindfulness into a medical setting; he developed the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, which used specific exercises to help patients dealing with chronic pain and is now widely applied in other therapeutic contexts, and founded the Center for Mindfulness at UMass Medical School.

Mindfulness has also been harnessed in increasingly diverse contexts beyond health care-some uses more legitimate than others. Last year, the Congressman Tim Ryan introduced mindfulness into weekly staff meetings on the Hill, Time published a cover story on the topic, and CNN's Anderson Cooper dedicated a primetime segment to showcasing his own transformative experience at a mindfulness retreat center. Google, General Mills, the Seattle Seahawks, and the U.S. military have all embraced mindfulness as a means of boosting performance and productivity, while its potential as an antidote to the distractions and stress of everyday life is increasingly promoted within the general population and has spurred a cottage industry of books, magazines, and smartphone apps.

Even when the concept of mindfulness was created it was slightly nebulous; now, as it is reappropriated and circulated in the media, it has become even more so. The lack of a universal definition for mindfulness, along with its increasing association with celebrity and vague implications of spirituality, health, and happiness leave some skeptics dismissing it as a superficial, hokey fad. Meanwhile, practicing Buddhists and others who believe strongly in the spiritual roots of mindfulness are concerned that the meditation techniques are being poorly adopted without a proper understanding of the principles behind them, and the long-term commitment they require-a phenomenon they call " McMindfulness."
Mindfulness is widely considered effective as a treatment for children and adolescents with aggression, ADHD, or anxiety.
Still, the body of scientific research illustrating the positive effects of mindfulness training on mental health and well-being-at the level of the brain as well as at the level of behavior-grows steadily more well-established: It improves attention, reduces stress, and results in better emotional regulation and an improved capacity for compassion and empathy. Brain-imaging studies at Harvard and Mass General Hospital have shown that long-term mindfulness training can help thicken the cortical regions related to attention and sensory processing, and may offset thinning of those areas that typically comes with aging. Mindfulness is widely considered effective in psychotherapy as a treatment not just for adults, but also for children and adolescents with aggression, ADHD, or mental-health problems like anxiety. (It remains to be seen whether mindfulness alone is a sufficient replacement for other therapies. In a review last year of 47 different randomized clinical trials, The Journal of the American Medical Association suggested that mindfulness training wasn't any more effective than other types of therapy, like drugs.)

This strong base of research, along with a growing body of supporters, are fueling the momentum behind mindfulness. And as Gonzalez demonstrates, it's now spreading to schools, where it could potentially have an impact on students' well-being; a quarter of American adolescents suffer from a mental disorder, according to a 2010 Johns Hopkins study.

The first major effort to use mindfulness in schools began in the UK in 2007 with a series of fixed lesson plans delivered in classrooms across the country. Interest in the movement has picked up pace since. This past July, Oxford researchers announced plans to launch a large-scale, seven-year, $10 million study on mindfulness in education next year. More than a dozen similar initiatives have sprouted in the U.S., grassroots programs that train teachers in mindfulness and generate their own curricula. Among the two largest are MindUP and Mindful Schools, the California-based nonprofit that trained Gonzalez, which continue to spearhead the country's steadily growing, but piecemeal, mindfulness-in-education movement. Since its founding in 2010, Mindful Schools has trained thousands of teachers through its online programs, most of them in California, New York, and Washington, D.C., who are said to have a total reach of 300,000 students.

After Gonzalez and his wife signed up for one of their six-week courses-Mindful Schools' training is open to any educator or mental-health professional who wants to teach mindfulness to young people-he was able to convince his school administrators to help him pay for a year-long certification program. Through a series of online lectures, weekly breakout sessions, monthly meetings, and two week-long summer retreats, Gonzalez worked on his own mindfulness skills, honing his ability to control his attention and regulate his own emotions while receiving specific guidance on how to teach those same skills to the youth populations he'd be working with. Gonzalez also received training about the biology of the nervous system, child development, and the neuroscientific basis for mindfulness's effects.

Not all mindfulness programs are in schools like Gonzalez's, where large numbers of students have been identified as disordered or disruptive, or struggle with mental-health problems and unstable living situations. Middlesex School, a prestigious boarding school in Massachusetts, requires that all incoming freshmen take a mindfulness course. The program, which was founded by an alumnus who used mindfulness to cope with both sports-related performance anxiety and T-Cell lymphoma, has proven popular among students. A vast majority-97 percent-of students surveyed in 2014 said they would recommend the course to others, reporting benefits ranging from better sleep and diminished stress to increased focus on schoolwork.

Education reformers have long maintained that there is a fundamental connection between emotional imbalance and poor life prospects. As Paul Tough argued and popularized in How Children Succeed, stress early in life can prompt a cascade of negative effects, psychologically and neurologically-poor self-control and underdeveloped executive function, in particular. The U.S. education system's focus on cognitive intelligence-IQ scores and academic skills like arithmetic-undermines the development of equally vital forms of non-cognitive intelligence. This type of intelligence entails dimensions of the mind that are difficult to quantify: It is the foundation of good character, resilience, and long-term life fulfillment. It is this part of the mind that mindfulness seeks to address.

Efforts to implement mindfulness in classrooms haven't always gone smoothly. Some parents and administrators have challenged its use in schools based on its religious roots-and in at least one instance even managed to shut a program down. As mindfulness is used more routinely in the medical sphere, these belief-based critiques are becoming less common. But the lack of evidence demonstrating the long-term academic impact of mindfulness has raised concerns about its role as an educational tool. Given the inherent nebulousness of mindfulness as a concept, and the grassroots status of the movement, these concerns are understandable.

Qualitative evidence touting the benefits of mindfulness in the classroom-like Mindful Schools' encouraging survey results and uplifting anecdotes from participants-is easy to come by, and several short-term research studies on elementary- and middle-school students have shown positive results. But serious questions remain about the overall efficacy of such programs on non-subjective measurements of well-being and academic performance, such as test scores, graduation rates, mental-health referrals, and overall life outcomes.
The mindfulness-in-education movement has a lot in common with, and in many ways complements, the social-and-emotional-learning movement.
The lack of rigorous, robust, and long-term studies on mindfulness is what makes people like the Penn State University psychologist Mark Greenberg cautious. Greenberg works with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning-one of the groups at the forefront of the two-decade-old social-and-emotional-learning (SEL) movement. The mindfulness-in-education movement has a lot in common with, and in many ways complements, SEL, since both aim to teach children how to build self-awareness, effectively handle their emotions, and empathetically manage their relationships. Unlike mindfulness, however, which takes more of an inside-out approach by helping students to slow down, intentionally focus their attention from moment to moment, and build compassion, SEL works from the outside in, teaching children a set of skills like how to mediate a conflict, or how to verbally express and explain their emotions to improve communication. Research shows that SEL programs alone have boosted kids' academic performance, as well as benefitting them socially and emotionally-but many believe mindfulness should also belong in the SEL toolkit.

Linda Lantieri, who helped found the SEL collaborative and has been working on these issues for decades, argues that the best approach to education combines mindfulness and SEL skills rather than treating one as a sufficient replacement for the other. While Greenberg agrees with Lantieri, he is a sober voice amidst the hype and enthusiasm about mindfulness, earning him the fond title of "curmudgeon" in some circles. "We don't know if these effects last," Greenberg told me. "Right now the promised benefits far exceed the actual findings." He is also concerned that mindfulness is just one "flavor of the month" that may detract attention from SEL programs supported by more substantial evidence. (Greenberg recently co-authored an impressive longitudinal study that followed hundreds of students as they progressed from early childhood through young adulthood and found that poor social-emotional skills in kindergarten helped predict negative outcomes across multiple domains of education, employment, criminal activity, substance use, and mental health.)

Mindful Schools is aware of these criticisms, and is beefing up its research efforts. In 2012, the group worked with a University of California at Davis research team to conduct a randomized controlled study of three elementary schools in Oakland, California. They sent in outside mindfulness instructors for 15 minutes, three times a week, to teach some classrooms but not others, and reported that mindfulness improved students' behavior and ability to focus, as well as teachers' sense of well-being-though the research design had several main points of weakness, mostly involving the challenge of measuring children directly rather than through teacher assessments. Mindful Schools' new research director told me that the group is eager to conduct more studies that are even better-planned, focusing more on the efficacy of the kind of integrated training Gonzalez received. The field is so new that techniques evolve rapidly, constantly going through phases of trial-and-error-so it remains to be seen whether current or future findings can convince skeptics of mindfulness's effectiveness.

Back in the Bronx, after a minute or two of the day's mindfulness exercise, his own eyes also closed, Gonzalez ran through a list of emotions: Happy. Sad. Excited. Mad. Bored. Loving. Worried. Jealous. Silly. The second item on this list seemed to especially resonate with an 18-year-old at the front of the classroom, a young woman with dark skin, shimmering pink lip gloss, and perfectly plucked eyebrows. Sitting up straight with her hands in her lap, her composed posture belied the challenges she faced shortly before transferring to Arturo A. Schomburg two years earlier.

"I didn't know anybody. I was very depressed. I didn't want to be in school," she told me in a hushed voice at the end of class. Shortly before transferring to this school, her favorite big brother had been hit by a car. She said she'd watched him fall into a coma, and sat by his side until his heart stopped; soon after that, she'd seen one of her friends get shot in the head and bleed to death in the street. During the quiet minutes set aside for mindfulness exercises in class, she would often cry.

Now, she writes in perfect, neat script as she fills out a worksheet to accompany the day's mindfulness exercise. But she told me she wasn't always so eager to participate. "I used to write, 'I hate this, I don't want to do this.' I ripped those papers up," she said. But one day when she was in a particularly dark mood, something clicked. "Argos told me to close my eyes. Then he said, 'Connect to your breath.' He always used to say it, but I never really did it until then." Gonzalez told me that his Mindful Schools training had specific segments dedicated to working with trauma.
"At times all the roles blur-teachers, therapists, social workers."
"I noticed that I could feel [my breath] in my chest," she told me, "And at that moment, I felt so relieved. The only thing I could think in my mind was, 'I'm ok.' And, I don't know-from that day on, it just didn't hurt anymore." She told me she hadn't been in fights the way she once used to. Her four other brothers are in jail, and she is convinced it's because they didn't get the mindfulness training she now has. "Your emotions drive you mad," she said, but escaping them is possible by "focusing on now." (Our conversation also benefitted from the fact that I myself have some knowledge of mindfulness; I discovered it during a year off from college as I struggled with anxiety and depression.)

Another student told me she was skeptical about mindfulness but admitted that it could be helpful. She told me that she initially refused to do the exercises, sitting defiantly while others participated. Some of the tasks-like tapping your thumb to each finger individually, to narrowly focus attention on your fingertips-did nothing but irritate her. Eventually, though, she realized she was alone in her resistance, and she began to go through the motions, largely because she likes and respects Gonzalez. She was also struck by a movie Gonzalez showed them that compared two jails, one that trained prisoners in mindfulness and one that didn't. The prisoners who learned mindfulness were much happier and more successful when they got out. Still, ultimately, she maintains that she doesn't see the point.

Beyond the issue of scientific evidence, bringing mindfulness into classrooms raises other questions: How does it fit into the traditional teaching model? Could any teacher teach mindfulness, or does it require a significant personal investment? Is opening teachers up to dealing with their students' emotional and psychological needs, in addition to their academic ones, encouraging a blur between teacher and therapist?

Gonzalez doesn't think so. "My intention as a mindfulness instructor is to give students some very simple and basic tools so they can learn to self regulate. That's the beginning and end of it." When a student is dealing with emotional trauma, Gonzalez said he's been taught to keep his advice general-to remind the student that everyone suffers and feels pain, but that life is a gift to be treasured.
Mindful Schools has found that a majority of the teachers it has trained experienced lowered stress and higher job satisfaction.
The clinical social worker at Gonzalez's school-a large man with a warm baritone voice-thinks mindfulness supports the school's overall SEL mission. "At times all the roles blur-teachers, therapists, social workers. Especially in a school like this. If you don't address the noise in a kid's head that they bring in from the outside, I don't care how good a teacher you are, you're not going to have much success."

He was convinced that Gonzalez is on the right track; and that all teachers should get something akin to mindfulness training, given that they must deal with undiagnosed mental conditions on a regular basis. While they are not therapists, they "can at least ease some of the stress in the moment. Long enough to have somebody intervene."

Greenberg's view about the teacher-as-therapist issue is also clear: "Teachers teach many things that are therapeutic. They are managing children's behavior all day long, but that doesn't make them therapists, that makes them good teachers. Some of the same ideas we teach in therapy are also applicable to all people."

Beyond helping his students, Gonzalez also thinks mindfulness helps him to cope with the strains of teaching. He believes he now draws clearer lines in his relationships with students-giving them the skills to help themselves, rather than feeling that he needs to be the one to heal them-and copes more healthily with the trauma the job exposes him to, whether directly (in a previous teaching job, he said a student once stumbled into his office bleeding from a stab wound) or indirectly through working with a grieving student.

Gonzalez ultimately thinks that mindfulness may go furthest if applied to teacher education as a way to help prevent burnout-a major issue, given that 20 percent of teachers in high-poverty schools leave within their first year. Greenberg agrees. One of the ongoing research projects he and his colleauges are involved in is the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, that focuses on the well-being of the teacher and instructs teachers on emotional awareness, techniques for emotion regulation, and ways to apply these skills to teaching. Greenberg and others suspect that mindfulness specifically tailored to teachers and their struggles-stress and time management, for example-and incorporated into their initial training might do as much or more to improve classroom performance than trying to teach children directly. In its annual surveys, Mindful Schools has found that a majority of the teachers it has trained experienced lowered stress, more connection with students, and higher job satisfaction.

By the end of Gonzalez's morning class, the quiet, focused tone had long faded. Several students stood up from their desks, leaning over each other, laughing, knowing that personal challenges await them outside the classroom, just as they always have.

Over the chatter, the student with the glossy pink lips told me that hearing Gonzalez say the word "sad" triggered a flashback to all of those overwhelming memories of grief and pain she has been working to move beyond, but that it was okay. "Those feelings are there, but they won't kill me," she said. "I still have my days where it's not easy, but mindfulness helps me a whole lot. Honestly, I feel like if I'd had this before, it would have been easier."

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What Happens When Mindfulness Enters Schools

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Many educators are introducing meditation into the classroom as a means of improving kids' attention and emotional regulation. A five-minute walk from the rickety, raised track that carries the 5 train through the Bronx, the English teacher Argos Gonzalez balanced a rounded metal bowl on an outstretched palm.

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How SEL and Mindfulness Can Work Together

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How SEL and Mindfulness Can Work Together

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If you're an educator interested in developing students' social and emotional well-being, it can be hard to know where to start. Which social-emotional learning (SEL) program should you choose? Or would it be better to focus on mindfulness? Perhaps you've heard great things about both, and, in the end, don't they just do the same thing?

© Remains

The confusion is especially understandable given that research in both fields suggests some similar outcomes for students: increased academic achievement and well-being, less risky behavior, and better relationships with peers and teachers.

SEL and mindfulness, in fact, are two separate areas-that work great when taught and learned together. Thus, choosing one over the other may not actually be the best choice.

One of us ( Linda) has had a front-row seat in the development of both SEL and the practice of mindfulness in education, as a co-founder of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning ( CASEL) and other researched-based SEL and mindfulness programs. With over 40 years of experience, Linda has learned that both SEL and mindfulness may be necessary to truly make a difference in students' lives and in the world.

But how can they be integrated? The answer is that one works from the outside-in-and the other works from the inside-out. When the two come together in the mind of a student, the effect can be powerful.

The difference between SEL and mindfulness

To start, SEL uses an outside-in approach with a focus on teaching skills: a teacher introduces a skill such as recognizing an emotion or using "I" messages, the students practice it for a set amount of time, and then the teacher moves on to the next skill. SEL assumes that this process is enough to enable students to use the skill in all relevant, real-life situations.

Mindfulness, on the other hand, works from the inside out, drawing on the premise that each person has the innate capacity for relationship-building qualities such as empathy and kindness-a premise that research now supports.

By helping students become aware of and then embody the connection between their emotions, thoughts, and bodily sensations, students are better able to regulate their emotions, which then impacts things such as their behavior, stress levels, relationships, and ability to focus. In short, mindfulness practices connect students' inner and outer experiences and help them see the congruence between the two.

Cultivating in tandem

SEL and mindfulness, however, are each limited in their own way. Telling students to use an "I" message when they get angry doesn't guarantee that they will do so when their emotions are running high. And just because someone practices mindfulness doesn't mean they have the skills to resolve conflicts.

The limitation of SEL was really brought home to Linda when a male student who had been taught SEL skills through the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program lost control of himself. The boy had been serving as a conflict mediator in his high school when he heard balloons pop. By the third pop, he had shoved the student who was popping the balloons up against the wall.

The principal called Linda and said, "I don't know what went on here. I know he has these SEL skills. Now I have to suspend him and he'll never be a mediator again." When Linda talked to the student, she found out that at one point in his life he had had a loaded gun shoved into his mouth that thankfully didn't go off. She quickly realized that because balloon popping sounded like gunfire, the student had been emotionally triggered and lashed out.

So, even though this student knew how to mediate conflicts-a standard SEL skill, because his amygdala had "hijacked" him, he wasn't able to access those skills when he really needed them. If this student's training had included mindfulness, he would have been more likely to notice that something was going on in his body when he heard the balloons pop. With this awareness, he could have chosen to regulate his emotions through deep breathing or some other technique and then use the skills he had learned through RCCP.

On the other hand, children who just learn mindfulness without SEL skills may be able to calm their emotions in a difficult situation, but still make wrong choices when it comes to getting along with others. For example, students who are insecurely attached - meaning they haven't experienced a safe, trusting relationship with a main caregiver - might have a belief that, in general, people are not to be trusted; thus, these students may not possess the skills for forming positive relationships with peers and teachers.

Integrating SEL and mindfulness

When SEL and mindfulness are integrated, the five SEL competencies laid out by CASEL have more fertile ground in which to grow and ultimately be embodied by students and adults alike. For example:

Competency 1: Self-awareness Students' self-awareness deepens when enhanced by the mindfulness practices of focusing attention and self-compassion.

Competency 2: Self-management Mindfulness increases students' emotion regulation skills, which enhances their ability to resolve conflict more creatively or to say how they're feeling in an emotionally balanced way.

Competency 3: Social awareness Mindfulness increases students' empathy by helping them to regulate their emotions rather than get emotionally overwhelmed when faced with a difficult situation. As a result, their capacity to notice another person's suffering and respond to it increases.

Competency 4: Relationship skills Mindfulness increases compassion. Thus, when students practice SEL skills such as creating a win-win solution with someone who challenges them, they are doing so with more compassionate understanding.

Competency 5: Decision-making Mindfulness increases cognitive flexibility and creativity, which gives students a wider range of responses to challenging situations.

Being the change in the world

Ultimately, when taught and learned together, mindfulness and SEL have the potential to transform our communities and our world with the former cultivating the tendencies for compassion and ethical ways of living and the latter teaching the skills to make that happen.

Linda saw this potential while working with schools in New Orleans when the city was rated the highest in the country for daily shootings. One day when she was teaching students SEL skills, a siren went off in the school and all the children hid under their desks.

One child said to Linda, "Ma'am, Ma'am, please duck and cover. Please duck and cover." Linda then realized that there was a free-for-all shooting happening outside and that the bullets might come in through the classroom windows. The shock of the situation made Linda wonder if there was truly any value in the skills she was teaching to these children.

Later, she asked this group of fifth grade students, "How many of you have been using these skills?" and they all raised their hands. But then one child said, "You know, it's very sad. We're using these skills, but then we go outside and we see terrible things. I saw someone get killed yesterday." Then Linda asked all the students, "How many of you have ever seen somebody get killed?" Again, every hand went up.

But then another child raised his hand and said, "Wait a minute, I just thought of one thing. I realize that even though those bad kids and bad adults are out there, pretty soon we are going to grow up and we're going to be those adults. And that's where it's going to change. That's how it will change for good."

And that is how it will change for good.

Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

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How SEL and Mindfulness Can Work Together

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When taught together, social-emotional learning and mindfulness can have even greater impact on both individuals and the world around us.

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Teens today need mindfulness more than ever to cope with the increasing demands they face each day. Mindfulness is something we can all use, from athletes to actors, adults, teens, and children, to be our best selves - to be calm, resilient, strong and wise!

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Watch the trailer or the full film

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Why We Offer Financial Assistance

Mindfulness is such a valuable tool that we are committed to offering financial assistance to those who need it. If you cannot take a course due to its price, please apply for a scholarship.

Scholarships are made possible thanks to the generosity of those who pay full price, as well as scholarship grants from foundations and individual donations.

Financial Assistance for the Mindful Educator Essentials Course

We are able to offer a limited amount of Mindful Educator Essentials scholarships for participants based on their financial need, diversity, population served, and plans to implement the Mindful Schools curriculum soon after completing the training. People who pay closer to the full rate for the Mindful Educator Essentials enable others to receive larger scholarships.
If you'd like to be considered for a scholarship, please fill out an application.
Due to the large number of applications we receive, we may not be able to support you with a scholarship at this time, but are welcome to apply again for a future training.

Discount for Mindfulness Fundamentals Graduates

After completing the Mindfulness Fundamentals prerequisite, the tuition rate for graduates is $300 (a savings of $250) for the Mindful Educator Essentials course.*

* Discount cannot be combined with a scholarship.

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Mindfulness is such a valuable tool that we are committed to offering financial assistance to those who need it. If you cannot take a course due to its price, please apply for a scholarship. Scholarships are made possible thanks to the generosity of those who pay full price, as well as scholarship grants from foundations and individual donations.

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15 Big Ways the Internet is Changing Our Brains

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15 Big Ways the Internet is Changing Our Brains

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Noted science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov predicted that one day, we'd "have computer outlets in every home, each of them hooked up to enormous libraries where anyone can ask any question and be given answers, be given reference materials, be something you're interested in knowing, from an early age, however silly it might seem to someone else," and with this appliance, be able to truly enjoy learning instead of being forced to learn mundane facts and figures. His insight has proven to be amazingly accurate, as we now live in a world with the Internet, where nearly the entire wealth of human knowledge can live at our fingertips or even in our pockets, from being able to summon email from our smart phones to earning entire degrees from accredited online colleges. We can also earn these degrees in a variety of options including associate degrees, bachelor degrees, master's degrees, and even PHDs- all online. Such an amazing feat, of course, doesn't happen without impacting our lives, and scientists have begun to note that the Internet has not only served to fulfill our brains' curiosities, but also rewired them. So what exactly is the Internet doing to our brains? Read on to find out.

1. We don't have to remember phone numbers or addresses anymore. Instead, we can just hop on our email or Google to look it up. According to a study by Science Magazine, "the Internet has become a primary form of external or transactive memory, where information is stored collectively outside ourselves," and our brains have become reliant on the availability of information.

2. Children are learning differently

Remember all of the history lessons that required you to remember dates, names, and finite details? Kids don't do that nearly as much as they used to. With online libraries, "rote memorization is no longer a necessary part of education" according to Read Write Web. Educators are beginning to understand that information is now coming at us through a fire hose, quicker and faster than we can digest it, and memorizing facts wastes valuable brain power that could be used to keep up with more important information that can't be quickly Googled. Individuals can further explore the way technology impacts the way students learn through traditional or online masters degrees in education.

1. When faced with a difficult question, people rarely consider the encyclopedia or history books, but rather, think about computers. It's a brand new impulse that exists in our brains. Because students in college often have to complete much research to earn their bachelor degree, using the Internet has become all too common. For many, this means we don't have to trek to the library, or, with the ubiquity of smartphones, even go much farther than our own pockets. It's no longer a big deal to find an old classmate or remember the name of an actor in a movie - all you have to do is Google it.

2. In an article for The Atlantic, Nicholas Carr relates his growing difficulty in deep reading. Like so many others, he finds that "deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle." It's not hard to figure out why. Our time online is often spent scanning headlines and posts and quickly surfing links, never spending much time on any one thing. So of course, when it comes to reading more than a few minutes, or even moments, of information, your mind will often begin to wander. (If you find your concentration is getting worse, try brushing up on your memory skills with sites like The Original Memory Gym.)

3. With so much information, it's only natural that some of it is junk. After all, we're no longer in a world bound by printing presses and editors: just about anyone can put information out there and promote the heck out of it. Grauduate students earning a master's degree can probably attest to this as they likely spend much time sifting through meaningless research that can't be proven or used. It's up to us as readers and consumers of information to determine what's relevant and reliable, and with so much practice, our brains are getting better at this task every day.

4. Even after unplugging, many Internet users feel a craving for the stimulation received from gadgets. The culprit is dopamine, which is delivered as a response to the stimulation - without it, you feel bored. The wife of a heavy technology user notes that her husband is "crotchety until he gets his fix." After spending time online, your brain wants to get back on for more, making it difficult to concentrate on other tasks and "unplug." Individuals can learn how to create captivating web sites by earning online web design degrees.

In 2007, UCLA professor Gary Small tested experienced surfers and newbie Internet users, asking them to Google a variety of preselected topics. In his experiment, he monitored brain activity, noting that experienced surfers showed much more activity than novice users, especially in the areas typically devoted to decisions and problem solving. He brought them all back six days later, this time having the newbies spend an hour each day searching online in the period before they came back. In the second test, the novice surfers' brains looked more like the intermediate Internet users. "Five hours on the Internet and the naive subjects had already rewired their brains," noted Small, suggesting that over time, Internet use changes neural pathways.

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15 Big Ways The Internet Is Changing Our Brain - OnlineCollege.org

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Noted science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov predicted that one day, we'd "have computer outlets in every home, each of them hooked up to enormous libraries where anyone can ask any question and be given answers, be given reference materials, be something you're interested in knowing, from an early age, however silly it might seem to someone else," and with this appliance, be able to truly enjoy learning instead of being forced to learn mundane facts and figures.

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Attention, multitaskers (if you can pay attention, that is): Your brain may be in trouble.

People who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information do not pay attention, control their memory or switch from one job to another as well as those who prefer to complete one task at a time, a group of Stanford researchers has found.

High-tech jugglers are everywhere - keeping up several e-mail and instant message conversations at once, text messaging while watching television and jumping from one website to another while plowing through homework assignments.

But after putting about 100 students through a series of three tests, the researchers realized those heavy media multitaskers are paying a big mental price.

"They're suckers for irrelevancy," said communication Professor Clifford Nass, one of the researchers whose findings are published in the Aug. 24 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Everything distracts them."

Social scientists have long assumed that it's impossible to process more than one string of information at a time. The brain just can't do it. But many researchers have guessed that people who appear to multitask must have superb control over what they think about and what they pay attention to.

Is there a gift?

So Nass and his colleagues, Eyal Ophir and Anthony Wagner, set out to learn what gives multitaskers their edge. What is their gift?

"We kept looking for what they're better at, and we didn't find it," said Ophir, the study's lead author and a researcher in Stanford's Communication Between Humans and Interactive Media Lab.

In each of their tests, the researchers split their subjects into two groups: those who regularly do a lot of media multitasking and those who don't.

In one experiment, the groups were shown sets of two red rectangles alone or surrounded by two, four or six blue rectangles. Each configuration was flashed twice, and the participants had to determine whether the two red rectangles in the second frame were in a different position than in the first frame.

They were told to ignore the blue rectangles, and the low multitaskers had no problem doing that. But the high multitaskers were constantly distracted by the irrelevant blue images. Their performance was horrible.

Because the high multitaskers showed they couldn't ignore things, the researchers figured they were better at storing and organizing information. Maybe they had better memories.

The second test proved that theory wrong. After being shown sequences of alphabetical letters, the high multitaskers did a lousy job at remembering when a letter was making a repeat appearance.

"The low multitaskers did great," Ophir said. "The high multitaskers were doing worse and worse the further they went along because they kept seeing more letters and had difficulty keeping them sorted in their brains."

Still puzzled

Puzzled but not yet stumped on why the heavy multitaskers weren't performing well, the researchers conducted a third test. If the heavy multitaskers couldn't filter out irrelevant information or organize their memories, perhaps they excelled at switching from one thing to another faster and better than anyone else.

Wrong again, the study found.

The test subjects were shown images of letters and numbers at the same time and instructed what to focus on. When they were told to pay attention to numbers, they had to determine if the digits were even or odd. When told to concentrate on letters, they had to say whether they were vowels or consonants.

Again, the heavy multitaskers underperformed the light multitaskers.

"They couldn't help thinking about the task they weren't doing," Ophir said. "The high multitaskers are always drawing from all the information in front of them. They can't keep things separate in their minds."

The researchers are still studying whether chronic media multitaskers are born with an inability to concentrate or are damaging their cognitive control by willingly taking in so much at once. But they're convinced the minds of multitaskers are not working as well as they could.

"When they're in situations where there are multiple sources of information coming from the external world or emerging out of memory, they're not able to filter out what's not relevant to their current goal," said Wagner, an associate professor of psychology. "That failure to filter means they're slowed down by that irrelevant information."

So maybe it's time to stop e-mailing if you're following the game on TV, and rethink singing along with the radio if you're reading the latest news online. By doing less, you might accomplish more.

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Media multitaskers pay mental price, Stanford study shows

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Attention, multitaskers (if you can pay attention, that is): Your brain may be in trouble. People who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information do not pay attention, control their memory or switch from one job to another as well as those who prefer to complete one task at a time, a group of Stanford researchers has found.

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How Your Cell Phone Hurst Your Relationships

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How Your Cell Phone Hurst Your Relationships

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Most of us are no stranger to this scenario: A group of friends sits down to a meal together, laughing, swapping stories, and catching up on the news - but not necessarily with the people in front of them! Nowadays, it's not unusual to have one's phone handy on the table, easily within reach for looking up movie times, checking e-mails, showing off photos, or taking a call or two. It's a rare person who doesn't give in to a quick glance at the phone every now and then. Today's multifunctional phones have become an indispensable lifeline to the rest of the world.

We might expect that the widespread availability of mobile phones boosts interpersonal connections, by allowing people to stay in touch constantly. But a recent set of studies by Andrew K. Przybylski and Netta Weinstein of the University of Essex showed that our phones can hurt our close relationships. Amazingly, they found that simply having a phone nearby, without even checking it, can be detrimental to our attempts at interpersonal connection.

Przybylski and Weinstein asked pairs of strangers to discuss a moderately intimate topic (an interesting event that had occurred to them within the last month) for 10 minutes. The strangers left their own belongings in a waiting area and proceeded to a private booth. Within the booth, they found two chairs facing each other and, a few feet away, out of their direct line of vision, there was a desk that held a book and one other item. Unbeknownst to the pair, the key difference in their interactions would be the second item on the desk. Some pairs engaged in their discussion with a nondescript cell phone nearby, whereas other pairs conversed while a pocket notebook lay nearby. After they finished the discussion, each of the strangers completed questionnaires about the relationship quality (connectedness) and feelings of closeness they had experienced. The pairs who chatted in the presence of the cell phone reported lower relationship quality and less closeness.

Przybylski and Weinstein followed up with a new experiment to see, in which contexts, the presence of a cell phone matters the most. This time, each pair of strangers was assigned a casual topic (their thoughts and feelings about plastic trees) or a meaningful topic (the most important events of the past year) to discuss - again, either with a cell phone or a notebook nearby. After their 10-minute discussion, the strangers answered questions about relationship quality, their feelings of trust, and the empathy they had felt from their discussion partners.

The presence of the cell phone had no effect on relationship quality, trust, and empathy, but only if the pair discussed the casual topic. In contrast, there were significant differences if the topic was meaningful. The pairs who conversed with a cell phone in the vicinity reported that their relationship quality was worse. The pairs also reported feeling less trust and thought that their partners showed less empathy if there was a cell phone present.

Thus, interacting in a neutral environment, without a cell phone nearby, seems to help foster closeness, connectedness, interpersonal trust, and perceptions of empathy - the building-blocks of relationships. Past studies have suggested that because of the many social, instrumental, and entertainment options phones afford us, they often divert our attention from our current environment, whether we are speeding down a highway or sitting through a meeting. The new research suggests that cell phones may serve as a reminder of the wider network to which we could connect, inhibiting our ability to connect with the people right next to us. Cell phone usage may even reduce our social consciousness.

Perhaps it would be going too far to prepare for important conversations by throwing your cell phone into the closet, or leaving it in the car on first dates. But if you are spending the day with people you really care about, you might want to reconsider the next time you reach for your phone to reply to a text message or check sports scores. Just having that phone nearby is bad enough.

Are you a scientist who specializes in neuroscience, cognitive science, or psychology? And have you read a recent peer-reviewed paper that you would like to write about? Please send suggestions to Mind Matters editor Gareth Cook, a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist at the Boston Globe. He can be reached at garethideas AT gmail.com or Twitter @garethideas.

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How Your Cell Phone Hurts Your Relationships

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Most of us are no stranger to this scenario: A group of friends sits down to a meal together, laughing, swapping stories, and catching up on the news - but not necessarily with the people in front of them!

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Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech

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24% of teens go online "almost constantly," facilitated by the widespread availability of smartphones.

Aided by the convenience and constant access provided by mobile devices, especially smartphones, 92% of teens report going online daily - including 24% who say they go online "almost constantly," according to a new study from Pew Research Center. More than half (56%) of teens - defined in this report as those ages 13 to 17 - go online several times a day, and 12% report once-a-day use. Just 6% of teens report going online weekly, and 2% go online less often.

Much of this frenzy of access is facilitated by mobile devices. Nearly three-quarters of teens have or have access to a smartphone and 30% have a basic phone, while just 12% of teens 13 to 17 say they have no cell phone of any type. African-American teens are the most likely of any group of teens to have a smartphone, with 85% having access to one, compared with 71% of both white and Hispanic teens. These phones and other mobile devices have become a primary driver of teen internet use: Fully 91% of teens go online from mobile devices at least occasionally. Among these "mobile teens," 94% go online daily or more often. By comparison, teens who don't access the internet via mobile devices tend to go online less frequently. Some 68% go online at least daily.

African-American and Hispanic youth report more frequent internet use than white teens. Among African-American teens, 34% report going online "almost constantly" as do 32% of Hispanic teens, while 19% of white teens go online that often.

Facebook is the most popular and frequently used social media platform among teens; half of teens use Instagram, and nearly as many use Snapchat

Facebook remains the most used social media site among American teens ages 13 to 17 with 71% of all teens using the site, even as half of teens use Instagram and four-in-ten use Snapchat.
71% of teens use more than one social network site
Teens are diversifying their social network site use. A majority of teens - 71% - report using more than one social network site out of the seven platform options they were asked about. Among the 22% of teens who only use one site, 66% use Facebook, 13% use Google+, 13% use Instagram and 3% use Snapchat.

This study uses a somewhat different method than Pew Research Center's previous reports on teens. While both are probability-based, nationally representative samples of American teens, the current survey was administered online, while our previous work involved surveying teens by phone. A great deal of previous research has found that the mode of interview - telephone vs. online self-administration - can affect the results. The magnitude and direction of these effects are difficult to predict, though for most kinds of questions, the fundamental conclusions one would draw from the data will be similar regardless of mode. Accordingly, we will not compare specific percentages from previous research with results from the current survey. But we believe that the broad contours and patterns evident in this web-based survey are comparable to those seen in previous telephone surveys.

Facebook remains a dominant force in teens' social media ecosystems, even as Instagram and Snapchat have risen into a prominent role in teens' online lives. Asked which platforms they used most often, the overall population of teens in this sample (ages 13 to 17) reported that Facebook was the site they used most frequently (41% said that), followed by Instagram (20%) and Snapchat (11%).

Boys are more likely than girls to report that they visit Facebook most often (45% of boys vs. 36% of girls). Girls are more likely than boys to say they use Instagram (23% of girls vs. 17% of boys) and Tumblr (6% of girls compared with less than 1% of boys). Older teens ages 15 to 17 are more likely than younger teens to cite Facebook (44% vs. 35% of younger teens), Snapchat (13% vs. 8%) and Twitter (8% vs. 3%) as a most often used platform, while younger teens ages 13 to 14 are more likely than their older compatriots to list Instagram (25% vs. 17% of older teens) as a platform they visit most often.

Middle and upper income teens lean toward Instagram and Snapchat

The survey data reveals a distinct pattern in social media use by socio-economic status. Teens from less well-off households (those earning less than $50,000) are more likely than others to say they use Facebook the most: 49% of these teens say they use it most often, compared with 37% of teens from somewhat wealthier families (those earning $50,000 or more).

Teens from more affluent households are somewhat more likely than those from the least affluent homes to say they visit Snapchat most often, with 14% of those from families earning more than $75,000 saying Snapchat is their top site, compared with 7% of those whose families earn less than $30,000 annually. Twitter shows a similar pattern by income, with the wealthiest teens using Twitter more than their least well-to-do peers. It should be noted that some of these differences may be artifacts of differences in use of these sites by these different subgroups of teens.

Smartphones facilitate shifts in teens' communication and information landscape

As American teens adopt smartphones, they have a variety of methods for communication and sharing at their disposal. Texting is an especially important mode of communication for many teens. Some 88% of teens have or have access to cell phones or smartphones and 90% of those teens with phones exchange texts. A typical teen sends and receives 30 texts per day

And teens are not simply sending messages through the texting system that telephone companies offer. Some 73% of teens have access to smartphones and among them messaging apps like Kik or WhatsApp have caught on. Fully 33% of teens with phones have such apps. And Hispanic and African-American youth with phones are substantially more likely to use messaging apps, with 46% of Hispanic and 47% of African-American teens using a messaging app compared with 24% of white teens.

Girls dominate social media; boys are more likely to play video games

Teenage girls use social media sites and platforms - particularly visually-oriented ones - for sharing more than their male counterparts do. For their part, boys are more likely than girls to own gaming consoles and play video games.

Data for this report was collected for Pew Research Center. The survey was administered online by the GfK Group using its KnowledgePanel, in English and Spanish, to a nationally representative sample of over 1,060 teens ages 13 to 17 and a parent or guardian from September 25 to October 9, 2014 and February 10 to March 16, 2015. In the fall, 1016 parent-teen pairs were interviewed. The survey was re-opened in the spring and 44 pairs were added to the sample. For more on the methods for this study, please visit the Methods section at the end of this report.

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Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015

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24% of teens go online "almost constantly," facilitated by the widespread availability of smartphones. Aided by the convenience and constant access provided by mobile devices, especially smartphones, 92% of teens report going online daily - including 24% who say they go online "almost constantly," according to a new study from Pew Research Center.

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Thanks to the wonders of neuroplasticity, adolescents are primed to improve their performance in school-and beyond. Here's how to help.

Adolescence is an exciting time as teenagers become increasingly independent, begin to look forward to their lives beyond high school, and undergo many physical, emotional, and cognitive changes. In that last category, teenagers can learn to take charge of their developing brains and steer their thinking in positive and productive directions toward future college and career success.

The brain's prefrontal cortex, which functions as the control center for executive functions such as planning, goal setting, decision making, and problem solving, undergoes significant changes during the teenage years. In an NPR interview, Laurence Steinberg, author of Age of Opportunity: Lessons From the New Science of Adolescence, notes that ages 12 to 25 are a period of extraordinary neuroplasticity. "Science suggests that it's important for kids to be challenged and exposed to novelty in order to facilitate healthy development of brain systems that are important for things like self-regulation," Steinberg says.

1. They have the capacity to become functionally smarter. By their early teens, many youths have already formed an image of themselves as intellectually capable-or not. It's important to emphasize for students in the latter group that past school performance need not be a predictor of future outcomes, if they are willing to persist in the hard work that may be required when learning gets challenging.

2. Success in school is largely determined by the learning strategies students employ, and not by some innate talent for academics. Students across the continuum of current performance can learn and improve effective problem-solving and study skills to nudge their grades in a positive direction.

The potential that comes from neuroplasticity-the capacity to change the structure and function of the brain through learning-provides the foundation for two crucial messages for middle and high school students:

Tools for Self-Directed Learning

As they progress through middle and high school, students are expected to take on increasing responsibility for their learning, with more out-of-class assignments that require independent research, reading for understanding, and wider application of classroom lessons. Our new book, Teaching Students to Drive Their Brains: Metacognitive Strategies, Activities, and Lesson Ideas, suggests that learning and applying strategies to "explain it to your brain" can help students improve their study habits. We note some of those strategies here.

Creating diagrams, pictures, and symbols to represent key ideas as they take notes;

Summarizing passages in their own words (some students might enjoy the challenge of capturing the essence of an assignment in a tweet); and

Searching for cues about the most important content. For textbook assignments, students can go back and review features like key terms, subtitles, and informational graphics after their first reading to reinforce crucial facts. When reading fiction or poetry, identifying literary devices such as metaphors and symbols can help uncover deeper meaning.

Don't just read-learn. There can be a huge difference between reading the words on the page and learning from them. To think through the ideas in a reading assignment and improve recall of what they have read, students might benefit from:

Consider the source. Like the reading strategies included here, a careful consideration of the credibility of sources, especially online ones, that students consult and cite in their research projects is a learning strategy that will serve them well throughout their lives. Is the information presented fact or opinion? Is the objective of this resource to inform, to influence, or to entertain? Are the authors and/or the sources cited reputable and qualified to discuss this topic? Making these kinds of judgments is a crucial executive function for students to develop. In his book The Adolescent Brain: Reaching for Autonomy, Robert Sylwester identifies this careful approach to vetting information sources as one of the "intuitive, logical, and predictive capabilities that will enhance the resolution of . . . emerging vocational challenges."

Create, then edit. Two common problems in academic writing are getting stalled out early on in writing the introduction and failing to edit the first draft carefully. Guide students to begin productively by putting in writing the information they want to convey without worrying about how they will word the first paragraph. That task will be much easier once they have laid out all the content they have gathered. And remind them to allow time to edit their papers not once, but twice, before turning them in.

Make a schedule-and stick to it. Planning and organizing are versatile executive functions that students will use in every subject and in their personal lives as well. For independent study projects, guide your students to develop a step-by-step process, to set dates to complete each step, and to build in extra time for unexpected issues, such as the need to conduct another round of research.

Read ahead to stay ahead. Encourage students to finish every reading assignment by reading a few pages ahead. This strategy can help improve understanding and recall by showing students how the information presented in one chapter is applied and expanded on in the next.

Become metacognitive about which study skills work best for you. Students will likely find that some of these strategies are more effective for them than others. Encourage them to try different strategies and to assess which ones get the best results for them. Some students may learn better in study groups, some by creating elaborate graphics to explore and connect the concepts they are studying, and some by reading and explaining the content aloud to themselves, to give just a few examples.

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The Teenage Brain Is Wired to Learn-So Make Sure Your Students Know It

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Thanks to the wonders of neuroplasticity, adolescents are primed to improve their performance in school-and beyond. Here's how to help.

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Teens, Technology, and Transformation | Suzy Cox | TEDxUVU

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The Neuroscience Behind Stress and Learning

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The Neuroscience Behind Stress and Learning

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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A slim, oblong device that beeps and buzzes is now the number one enemy in my household. "Look up from your screen when you're talking to me," I yell at my 15-year-old daughter, as her glazed eyes dart from the gold iPhone 5 resting in her hand to her laptop screen.

Faces peer out at her from her laptop, as she multi-tasks, finishing a history essay while Skyping two girlfriends she has spent the day with at school. Her phone buzzes again as she checks a Facebook alert. On Sunday, she spent five hours 10 minutes on her phone; on a weekday, she stared at the shiny screen for three hours and 23 minutes.

Around the country, household relations are under strain as parents try to tear tweens and teens like mine away from their electronic devices.

The average New Zealand 16- to 24-year-old now spends 8.9 hours a day on them. Four out of five youths now own a smartphone, the device's portability making it like an extension of their arm, according to social-media expert Ekant Veer.

As parents, it's a dilemma as we try to police our digital natives while still allowing them to live in the 21st century. After all, it's not as if smartphones are just a teen craze. As I tell my 13-year-old to get off Instagram and stop taking selfies with her tongue out (her current craze), my own phone sends me calendar alerts, and I tweet, text and email, while booking holidays, taxis, and keeping abreast with the weather, news, and friends' lives.
READ MORE:
* Parenting in the Facebook age: Should we rethink how we share?
* What age is appropriate to join social media?
* To blur or not to blur? The latest social media dilemma for parents
Yes, we use them too - but they use them more. Veer, a lecturer at Canterbury University, talks about the "technology value gap" between parents and teens. Today's adults were teens in an internet-free world, while teens have grown up with the concept of constant connection.

"Without technology their connection to the world is limited and, as we know, teens like to be limitless," he says. He talks about a mismatch of ideals: parents want children to engage with them and others face to face, on a physical level, while teens are equally, if not more content, to connect with others via technology.

"This leads to a resentment of technology rather than an acceptance that connecting via technology
is just different, but not inherently bad. It is bad from a parent's perspective because it's not what they value, but a teen might find having to disconnect from the world as being equally bad because it's not what they value," he says.

But how much is too much? And how do we police it? "If technology is hurting your relationships rather than bolstering them, then it's too much. If you can leverage technology to improve relationships then we shouldn't look to ban or limit that."

"The idea that kids need to give you eye contact to make an adult feel valued is a good example of values that adults have that young people don't necessarily have. To them, it's worse that you read
a text message and don't respond. That's hurtful for them in the same way [lack of eye contact] might be hurtful for the adult. It's all about a mismatch of values that needs to be addressed by both parents and young people. Neither is right, but neither is wrong either. Values are not better than anyone else's - they're just different," he says.

But the thorny topic of kids and mobile phones upset a New York physician so much, that she produced a documentary, Screenagers. Bewildered by her own tweens being glued to devices, Dr Delaney Ruston researched the neurological effects of screen time, and found two studies that showed too much worsens attention spans and is detrimental to young brains. Scientists found that when young mice were repeatedly exposed to flashing sounds and lights that mimicked screen time, they developed fewer nerve cells in the parts of the brain that control learning and memory. The same stimulus doesn't affect brains of adult mice. There's something unique about the way screen time impacts on the developing brain.

Ruston told the New York Times: "Our current fast-paced digital media, from flash games and online videos, to social media feeds and constant texting, seems to tire the brain. This has major implications for kids and how they reach their full academic potential."

But Netsafe director Martin Cocker says the brain studies are inconclusive. After attending an internet conference in Washington DC last year, he says the American Pediatric Society is changing its recommendations from two hours a day maximum screen time for children over two and no screen time for under twos to a recommendation to simply monitor what children watch and do online. The initial two-hour recommendation stemmed from the link between TV time and childhood obesity. But there doesn't seem to be the same connection between obesity and phone or internet use. "The idea that you restrict usage to restrict the impact has now been debunked. All the screen-time science finds it's not how much time you spend online, but what you're doing online that is important."

"We know that back-lit screens are bad for sleep patterns, but in terms of whether our brains are affected by technology, we're not yet sure."

But it's the social problems among youth that his organisation sees - cyber bullying, sexting, and scams. Teens and tweens are often impulsive online, and unaware of the potential outcomes. Last year, one in five youth reported they were cyberbullied, a statistic that hasn't changed much over the decade. "But 10 years ago, cyber bullying was just text bullying, and now cyberbullying has extended to embarrassing videos and sexting to wider groups. We're seeing an increasing use of the technology capability of bullying."

Schools are trying to come to grips with phones, at the same time as they encourage students to bring their own devices. Phones are banned in some school changing rooms to stop sexting. Last year, Ngaruawahia High School forbade phones in playgrounds to cut bullying. But it's up to each school to set its own phone policy, according to Principals Federation president Ian Taylor. At his school, Manurewa Intermediate, kids have to hand their phones into the office each morning, and pick them up at the end of the day.

A Wellington mother of 16-year-old twins, who didn't wish to be named, talked about the dilemma of wanting to embrace the technological world we live in, while trying to control her daughter's phone use. She worries about the distraction of phones in classrooms. "I'll text [my daughter] and I'll get a text back, and I'll ask her, "Why are you texting me back?" I don't think they should have access to their phones when they're supposed to be learning. Mobile phones make the world so instant for them and they're exposed to everything all the time."

She tries to keep tabs on her daughter via Facebook and Snapchat. "My kids love getting a Snapchat from Mum pulling a funny face, telling them that I love them."

Meanwhile, worrying about children and screen time is a rising trend, according to Auckland counsellor and family mediator Jill Goldson. Parents worry about the addictive quality of games like Minecraft and social media sites like Instagram, she says. "This speed of modern technology development is outstripping our readiness to deal with it. As with any revolution, we're not prepared for some of the side effects."

In her counselling room, Goldson hears all sorts of problems - kids addicted to devices, kids bullied by adults who hack into their online identities, and the more bog-standard cyber bullying. "There is also the preoccupation with selfies. Devices are developing an extra level of self-consciousness among prepubescent and pubescent kids - who is in and who is not, and who is cool and who is not. There is a lot of pressure on these young kids and their self-esteem."

But there are social benefits as well. The world has opened up and allowed new forms of connectedness. The lonely, the shy, the unusual, the mentally ill, can and do make friends online.

"Telling kids to get out in the countryside and kick a ball is an over-simplified solution. It's a really big mistake to get into the idea that technology is all bad. We need to teach kids to take responsibility and to teach them about safety, and make sure they are empowered by technology. We need to look for the upsides - the ability to attain knowledge and to connect - and to manage the difficult path."

Goldson agrees that parents aren't necessarily great role models. "I've heard of little toddlers grabbing their parents faces away from screens as they try to make eye contact with that parent. It's a fact that parents are also on their screens a lot, and it can be a case of 'don't do as I do, do as I say'."
Craig Erskine and his son Liam, 12, struggle daily with the amount of mobile phone and screen time kids can have. Photo: ROSS GIBLIN/FAIRFAX NZ Craig Erskine. Commercial director, Department of Corrections
Liam got his first phone [at age seven] due to a court order where each party had to have reasonable phone access to the kids. It was a household staple, rather than a luxury option. But once he got to 10, he got a smartphone and it was much harder to control his use. He was travelling to school on the bus and he got used to playing music on it and conversing with his friends. What we found, though, was that as he got older, he found apps like Instagram. He became more of a recluse, in his room on his phone, and his behaviour changed significantly, culminating in a range of events. I won't go into a lot of detail, but my partner could follow him on Instagram, and some of the kids were sending messages that were very serious. These kids didn't know how the other kids would react or respond to things they thought were a joke. [Erskine's partner] Nikki would log in and this scary stuff was happening right in front of us. There was name calling, and cyber bullying. These kids don't know how the recipient is going to respond to that. We did a lot of work with him, trying to help him understand what this was all about and how bad it was. He was using any opportunity to remove himself from being around us, and he was quite stressed, so it was putting quite a lot of pressure on him. We took his phone off him too. But Liam got what we were saying. He wasn't the worst one - there were ringleaders. It's an environment that creates a lot of anxiety for the parents, as you don't feel in control.

We shut Instagram down, and said he could Skype but only in the lounge so we can keep track of him. We've also tried to encourage more physical contact with his friends, like sleepovers. He's not allowed his phone in his room any more, but that's like trying to stop a river. It's a constant state of checking up on him. Now we've got the communication clear, we keep tabs on what he's watching on his phone. It's mainly YouTube videos, and funny stuff, but you do worry about what he's watching at the age of 12. If something inappropriate comes on TV, I can just change the channel. I can't do that when he's on a phone or other device. But as adults, we do need to take some responsibility for our own behaviour too as I'm constantly on my phone checking my emails, Facebook and Trade Me. I can feel like a hypocrite.
Liam Erskine, 12, year 8 at Ebis (Evans Bay Intermediate School)
All my friends have a phone, I don't know anyone who doesn't have one. I'm not that attached to it. I've got a game on there, Kiddie Collector, which I play on the bus to school. When I'm out with my friends I use it to text. I used to be on Snapchat and Instagram, but Dad stopped me using those apps. All my friends were on Instagram till like 1am. There can be name calling a bit. People can be joking but they can get a bit serious.

Dad took my phone away from me for two weeks. I was angry at first, for a couple of days. I felt cut off from people, because we were away camping. I felt like I couldn't talk to my friends.

I've got friends who are a bit addicted. They want to get the most followers on Instagram and Snapchat. We're not allowed to go on our phones in my class though. If you get caught once, you get your phone taken off you, and if you get caught twice, you get your phone taken off you for the day.

I use my phone to watch YouTube. YouTubers put up daily gaming videos and I watch those. I usually play Spotify when I do my homework. I think the music helps me learn.

My friends, we go out and have fun, we don't really look at our phones too much. At home, we're not allowed our phone at the dinner table; that would be bad. It's like a distraction from our food.

Dad's partner Nikki is quite strict about me being on the phone. I'm only on my phone until 9pm. But Dad's usually checking his phone for work too. He says, "Get off your phone", and I'm like, "Get off your phone too."
Thomasin McKenzie and mum Miranda Harcourt: "I quite like Facebook but Mum is on it all the time. But she'll say things to us about not spending too much time on our phones and on screens." Photo: MAARTEN HOLL/FAIRFAX NZ Thomasin McKenzie, 15, Year 11 at Samuel Marsden Collegiate school; actress who played Pixie on Shortland Street
Some of my friends are on their phones all the time. It can suck up so much time, and you often don't realise. I saved up and bought an iPhone 5 before I started on Shortland Street. When I started, I had 400 Instagram followers, but by the end of my six months on the show, I had 9000 followers. I haven't posted anything on Instagram for weeks. I guess I can't be bothered. But it is good when you post something and get lots of likes. It makes you feel really good.

I use my phone to watch vlogs on YouTube. They're quite addictive. You can get lost in them. I like watching the teenagers who post makeup videos and DIY ones. Yesterday, I was watching a YouTube video about young prodigies - there was a really cool young cellist, and a 12-year-old girl building a car from scratch. They came up on my YouTube homescreen as recommended. I found them really interesting. I also like watching American videos because I can hear the American accents and mimic them for my acting.

We've got a new rule at school where we have to have our phones on our desk, face down, so the teachers can check the kids aren't on them.

I quite like Facebook but Mum is on it all the time. She's got like 2000 Facebook friends. Mum is on her phone and her computer all the time. Skyping is a really big part of her job too. But she'll say things to us about not spending too much time on our phones and on screens.
Miranda Harcourt, actress and acting coach
When Thomasin got her first phone, she was about 10 and it was a Nokia that was
a hand-me-down. I said to her that it was bedtime, and in my rage, I said if she didn't get off her phone, I would throw it out the window. I went in and she was texting under the blankets. I had to throw it out the window. We both heard it drop down and smash onto the concrete. I had to stick to my word. I wouldn't do that now, of course, because she has an iPhone 5.

In truth, Thom is pretty good on her phone. It's a communication device for her. It's not a best friend. She's a really structured person. She understands the value of time. When she was on Shortland Street, it was great. We could keep in touch with her so regularly, as she was 14 and pretty young to be away from home.

We don't allow phones at the dinner table - that would be outrageous. The kids come for dinner at
a certain time, Mum comes upstairs (from her flat), and we all catch up on the day. I've also always told the kids if they're on screens too much that it's time for three-dimensional play - do what you want to do, but it can't be two-dimensional.

Peter is 17 and he never answers his phone, partly because I don't think teens like talking on the phone. They'd rather text. Phones are great at teaching language skills. I'll be driving along and I'll ask Davida (nine) to send a text for me. And she will ask me, "Is there an apostrophe in aren't?"

I'm the phone addict in our family. I use it way too much. I've just finished a few days teaching at the Australian Film and Television School and now I'm in Auckland for three days doing acting coaching on a movie. A lot of my work is coaching people in different time zones, so I'm on Skype or Facetime. My excessive phone use is an unfortunate by-product of the work I do.
SCREENAGERS - THE FACTS
81 per cent of youth (aged 16-24) have a smartphone Roy Morgan, July 2015

On average, 16- to 24-year-olds spend 8.9 hours a day consuming media (two hours of television and five hours on the internet). Roy Morgan, July 2015

Youth are media multi-taskers. 65 percent are 'dual screening' while watching TV. AC. Neilson July 2014 to July 2015
Go to netsafe.org.nz for ideas about keeping kids safe online TOP TRENDING IPHONE APPS IN NEW ZEALAND, ACCORDING TO APP ANNIE
Free: Skinvision, Minecraft, Messenger, Disney Crossy Road, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram

Paid: Driving theory test, NZ Game Calls, Radiation Island, Metservice, Slither.io, Cut the Rope.
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Tweens, teens and screens: How harmful is technology to young brains?

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A slim, oblong device that beeps and buzzes is now the number one enemy in my household. "Look up from your screen when you're talking to me," I yell at my 15-year-old daughter, as her glazed eyes dart from the gold iPhone 5 resting in her hand to her laptop screen.

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A collection of articles, videos, and other resources on internet safety, cyberbullying, digital responsibility, and media and digital literacy.

Digital Responsibility

The Basics of Open Technology by Ira Socol (2015): From abundant tools and smart budgeting to accessibility and trust, the Albemarle County Public Schools district maintains a tech program that leverages digital literacy for all students.

Five-Minute Film Festival: Are We Addicted to Technology? by Amy Erin Borovoy (2014): Can't put your device down? Obsessing over social media? You may want to dig in to this playlist of videos and resources to help educators, parents, and students reflect on their relationship with technology.

Common Core in Action: Teaching Online Ethics by Heather Wolpert-Gawron (2014): A look at a key element of digital citizenship-responsible use of intellectual property-and the eighth-grade Common Core standard for gathering, using, and attributing relevant information.

Five-Minute Film Festival: Copyright and Fair Use for Educators by Amy Borovoy (2013): In K-12 education, it's a challenge to navigate the copyright and fair use waters. What can educators use? How can they use it? We have some fun, engaging videos to help teachers and students understand this confusing subject.

Media and Digital Literacy

Other Resources From Edutopia

Additional Resources on the Web

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A collection of articles, videos, and other resources on internet safety, cyberbullying, digital responsibility, and media and digital literacy.

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The Dangers of the Internet - A Pre-intermediate + Lesson by Simon McDonald

Cover photo from ELTPics @CliveSir

Before we get to the lesson plan, here's a little blurb.

It's been a while since anything was posted on this blog, but we continue to receive your visits and hear your messages of support - and we're very grateful to you for this. Although adding lots of new material has been something of a challenge for us over the last year (or two) - with luck this is about to change - and I'll explain why.

As you may be aware, back in 2013, Neil McMillan, Alan Ritchie, Irene Almazán and I got together and decided to begin a cooperative of language teachers, translators, interpreters, materials writers...and so on. It's now in full swing - and you can find us at http://www.slb.coop

We are a services sharing cooperative - so as well as endeavouring to provide our members with well-paid work, we also share teaching and translation resources, professional development support, financial and administrative guidance, and more.

We have decided to marry Designer Lessons' resource sharing with Serveis Linguistics de Barcelona's Library. Although most of the SLB lessons will remain private for our members, we'll also be sharing some of our top resources on this blog.

So without further ado, dillydallying, fannying about, dawdling or procrast... I'll let Simon - a very experienced materials writer, take it away.
Read more about Simon here. The Dangers of the Internet A lesson plan from Simon McDonald for Cooperativa de Serveis Lingüístics de Barcelona and Designer Lessons
Level: Pre-intermediate (if used in part) and above

Materials (please click on the links for PDF versions)

This lesson is based on the the Youtube video " The Dangers of the Internet - shortened". The original version from the "school of Life", which is an excellent source of videos, is a little longer (7 minutes instead of 5) and more complicated so suitable for upper-intermediate students and above.

The edited version has English subtitles available (on Youtube) and the speed has been reduced by 2%. The transcript (available as a PDF) has several words and expression highlighted which you may want to pre-teach or focus on after watching the video for the first time (depending on your class).

In short, the video is divided into fours parts:

1. addiction

2. excessive information

3. privacy and

4. online crime

N.B At the end of the video, there is also "what's the solution?", which can be developed or ignored
It is not necessary to watch every part of the video so you can "mix and match" depending on your lesson theme, student ability, class dynamics etc

(Obviously) you should watch the video before the class and make a note of the timing as you might want to stop each part before its finished to avoid some of the more complicated vocabulary
Warm up

Get students to brainstorm some of the "dangers of the Internet"

Give the students the first topic to focus on and/or

Use the first student handout to get predictions from the students. The lower the level, the more exploring to help prepare them for the video

Watch the video

Watch the video part by part and compare answers

The subtitles can be used in a second (or third if necessary) viewing to focus on specific vocabulary (see highlighted transcript)

Talk about it
There are several points that can be developed for more open conversation and debate.

These are just a few suggestions:

Internet and smartphone addiction is damaging interpersonal communication

Pornography is distorting concepts of relationships among young people

We are not neurologically designed to withstand the temptations on offer online

Google's search results are mechanical and highly coloured in their interpretations.

Because the Internet is often a source of reliable information, we exaggerate its accuracy, its importance and wisdom.

A majority of European internet users are under the impression that a security service has snooped into their conversations and activities.

Please see materials section above for worksheets, answer keys and transcripts.

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The Dangers of the Internet - A Pre-intermediate + Lesson by Simon McDonald

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Cover photo from ELTPics @CliveSir Before we get to the lesson plan, here's a little blurb. It's been a while since anything was posted on this blog, but we continue to receive your visits and hear your messages of support - and we're very grateful to you for this.

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Mindfulness, Learning, and Technology for Teens

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Mindfulness, Learning, and Technology for Teens

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What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains

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What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains

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What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains

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Tech Tools to Support a Mindful Classroom

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Tech Tools to Support a Mindful Classroom

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Shared Mindfulness: Building Supportive Relationships in the Classroom

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Shared Mindfulness: Building Supportive Relationships in the Classroom

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By pairing students to sit back to back and focus on their breathing, you can help them develop a sense of mutuality and social awareness.

No matter what subject we teach, all teachers share a common desire for more cohesiveness in the classroom. We know that when our students feel a sense of safety and belonging, trust their classmates, and know how to manage stress, learning is amplified. How can we help foster grounded confidence in our students among all of the many other tasks and responsibilities on our agendas?

One way is by giving students opportunities to connect mindfully with each other. The profundity of peer partnering is well known and extends far beyond the academic implications into the realm of social and emotional learning. Applying mindfulness to the equation allows students the possibility of developing peer relationships based on mutuality and social awareness.

Establishing Contact

This two-part activity first asks students to sit back to back with a peer while engaging in mindful listening and breathing. Then, students are encouraged to express their experience with their partners as a way of deepening their understanding of both the practice and each other.

The idea of asking students to sit with their backs touching may initially strike some teachers as precarious. Yet when approached with a great deal of trust in our students' humanity, we find that such activities can fill adolescents' deep need for social congruency. Further, working with a peer partner can even have an anchoring effect on mindful practices.

I've led students through this mindful activity in countless classrooms over the last 15 years -- both in dedicated yoga classes and as mindful relationship building in classes covering various subjects. Each time, I can feel a transformation. Students are more present. They listen more to their peers and their teachers. Meaningful interaction comes more easily.

To begin, have students sit back to back with a partner. Use what you know about your students to determine the most effective method of partnering, whether it's your call, their choice, or random pairing. Be sure that you are able to easily observe all sets of students, making special arrangements in the room if necessary.

First, attend to the physical components of students' posture. They should sit cross-legged such that their lower and upper backs, as well as the backs of their heads are in contact. Give ample time for students to find a balance point wherein there bodies are mutually supportive. The spine should be neither overly arched back or curved forward -- work for a naturally uplifted posture. Hands can be either placed in the lap or rested on the knees. Eyes can be softly closed or half closed with a gentle focus toward the floor a few feet ahead.

Breathing Together

Once students are settled in to their partner posture, which will take three to five minutes, ask them to pay attention to the sounds around them. In addition to priming the brain to focus, this step aids them in overcoming any feelings of vulnerability that may arise while beginning this activity with a partner. Instruct students to mentally note the sounds they hear. Allow another three to five minutes for this step, reminding them several times to simply listen for and label sounds.

Next, guide students to direct attention to their breathing. The following script provides an example:

First, simply observe your breath. Breathe in and out through your nose. Watch your inhales, follow your exhales. Notice how your chest moves as you breathe. If it feels right to you, try deepening your inhales, slowing down your exhales.

Now, begin to count your breath cycles. An inhale and an exhale equal one breath. Do this for two to three minutes. Notice when your mind wanders into other thoughts. Come back to your breath and begin counting again at one.

Remember what number you are on and shift your attention from counting to feeling your partner's back. Can you feel your partner's back moving while he or she breathes? Are you breathing faster or slower than your partner? Can you direct your breath toward the back of your body, expanding the back of your rib cage as you inhale?

For a few minutes, try to breathe in sync with your partner. When you notice your mind wander, come back to your breath.

Now, let your breath come back to normal. Slowly open your eyes and turn to your partner.

1. What sounds did you hear?

2. How many breaths did you count?

3. Could you feel your partner's back moving as he or she was breathing?

Give students five minutes to share their experiences. Write the following three prompts on a board for discussion:

As with any mindful practice, effectiveness dramatically increases when the teacher embodies the qualities of mindfulness. Perhaps you will find a fellow teacher or mate willing to try this practice with you several times prior to facilitating with your students.

Have you tried this activity or something similar in your classroom? How do you build supportive relationships among your students?

No matter what subject we teach, all teachers share a common desire for more cohesiveness in the classroom. We know that when our students feel a sense of safety and belonging, trust their classmates, and know how to manage stress, learning is amplified. How can we help foster grounded confidence in our students among all of the many other tasks and responsibilities on our agendas?

One way is by giving students opportunities to connect mindfully with each other. The profundity of peer partnering is well known and extends far beyond the academic implications into the realm of social and emotional learning. Applying mindfulness to the equation allows students the possibility of developing peer relationships based on mutuality and social awareness.

Establishing Contact

This two-part activity first asks students to sit back to back with a peer while engaging in mindful listening and breathing. Then, students are encouraged to express their experience with their partners as a way of deepening their understanding of both the practice and each other.

The idea of asking students to sit with their backs touching may initially strike some teachers as precarious. Yet when approached with a great deal of trust in our students' humanity, we find that such activities can fill adolescents' deep need for social congruency. Further, working with a peer partner can even have an anchoring effect on mindful practices.

I've led students through this mindful activity in countless classrooms over the last 15 years -- both in dedicated yoga classes and as mindful relationship building in classes covering various subjects. Each time, I can feel a transformation. Students are more present. They listen more to their peers and their teachers. Meaningful interaction comes more easily.

To begin, have students sit back to back with a partner. Use what you know about your students to determine the most effective method of partnering, whether it's your call, their choice, or random pairing. Be sure that you are able to easily observe all sets of students, making special arrangements in the room if necessary.

First, attend to the physical components of students' posture. They should sit cross-legged such that their lower and upper backs, as well as the backs of their heads are in contact. Give ample time for students to find a balance point wherein there bodies are mutually supportive. The spine should be neither overly arched back or curved forward -- work for a naturally uplifted posture. Hands can be either placed in the lap or rested on the knees. Eyes can be softly closed or half closed with a gentle focus toward the floor a few feet ahead.

Breathing Together

Once students are settled in to their partner posture, which will take three to five minutes, ask them to pay attention to the sounds around them. In addition to priming the brain to focus, this step aids them in overcoming any feelings of vulnerability that may arise while beginning this activity with a partner. Instruct students to mentally note the sounds they hear. Allow another three to five minutes for this step, reminding them several times to simply listen for and label sounds.

Next, guide students to direct attention to their breathing. The following script provides an example:

First, simply observe your breath. Breathe in and out through your nose. Watch your inhales, follow your exhales. Notice how your chest moves as you breathe. If it feels right to you, try deepening your inhales, slowing down your exhales.

Now, begin to count your breath cycles. An inhale and an exhale equal one breath. Do this for two to three minutes. Notice when your mind wanders into other thoughts. Come back to your breath and begin counting again at one.

Remember what number you are on and shift your attention from counting to feeling your partner's back. Can you feel your partner's back moving while he or she breathes? Are you breathing faster or slower than your partner? Can you direct your breath toward the back of your body, expanding the back of your rib cage as you inhale?

For a few minutes, try to breathe in sync with your partner. When you notice your mind wander, come back to your breath.

Now, let your breath come back to normal. Slowly open your eyes and turn to your partner.

1. What sounds did you hear?

2. How many breaths did you count?

3. Could you feel your partner's back moving as he or she was breathing?

Give students five minutes to share their experiences. Write the following three prompts on a board for discussion:

As with any mindful practice, effectiveness dramatically increases when the teacher embodies the qualities of mindfulness. Perhaps you will find a fellow teacher or mate willing to try this practice with you several times prior to facilitating with your students.

Have you tried this activity or something similar in your classroom? How do you build supportive relationships among your students?

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Shared Mindfulness: Building Supportive Relationships in the Classroom | Edutopia

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By pairing students to sit back to back and focus on their breathing, you can help them develop a sense of mutuality and social awareness. No matter what subject we teach, all teachers share a common desire for more cohesiveness in the classroom.

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18 Amazing Mindfulness Activities for the Classroom

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18 Amazing Mindfulness Activities for the Classroom

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Written by Cassie (Teach Starter)
Posted Tuesday August 29, 2017

Put simply, mindfulness is "to pay attention, on purpose, to the present moment" (Grossman, 2016).

The positive benefits of teaching mindfulness to children have been proven across a number of studies. Incorporating mindfulness into everyday classroom activity is becoming more and more common. A five or ten-minute daily mindfulness practice can see students reduce stress and anxiety, increase concentration and engagement, sleep better, improve social skills, and develop problem-solving and decision-making skills.

5-10 Minute Mindfulness Activities for Children

Here are 18 quick and effective mindfulness activities you can do with your class. These activities are also available as a printable teaching resource, Mindfulness Activity Task Cards.

If you have never practised mindfulness before you may like to:

Breath Awareness Activities

These are the first stop on your students' journey to mindfulness. Their breath is the one thing that will always be with them.

Explicitly teaching mindful breathing is providing students with a skill that will be with them for life, in every situation they will ever encounter.

Is that not one of the most powerful lessons you can ever teach?

Students can stand or sit for this activity.

Ask students to put both hands on their belly.

Students should close their eyes, or look down to their hands.

Guide students in taking three slow deep breaths in and out to see if they can feel their hands being moved.

You may like to count "1, 2, 3" for each breath in and "1, 2, 3" for each breath out, pausing slightly at the end of each exhale.

Encourage students to think about how the breath feels, answering the following questions silently, in their mind.
- What is moving your hands? Is it the air filling your lungs?
- Can you feel the air moving in through your nose?
- Can you feel it moving out through your nose?
- Does the air feel a little colder on the way in and warmer on the way out?
- Can you hear your breath?
- What does it sound like?

If you'd prefer not to wing it, download and print our Mindful Breathing Guided Meditation Script.

#2 Pinwheel Breathing
(5 minutes)

Providing students with an object to focus on is a great way to encourage concentration during mindfulness lessons. Use pinwheels in conjunction with the mindful breathing exercise above, making the pinwheel spin with every exhale.

We have created a beautiful, free pinwheel template that combines mindfulness colouring with this simple craft activity.

#3 Belly Buddies
(10 minutes)

Ask students to bring in a small stuffed toy, or provide a class set of small, light-weight objects such as small bean bags or wooden blocks.

Students lay on their backs and place the toy or object on top of their belly buttons.

Take students through the guided breathing activity above, asking them to watch the object as it moves up and down with their breath.

#4 Shark Fin
(2 minutes)

Coined by former Mindful Schools co-founder Laurie Gossman and Mr Musumeci's Grade 5 class of the book "Master of Mindfulness: How to Be Your Own Superhero in Times of Stress" fame, the Shark Fin is a fantastic tool that you can use during any quick moment in your day. It will help to calm your class, or individual students, when their minds and bodies may be fighting against them.

Place the side of your hand on your forehead, with your palm facing out to the side.

Close your eyes.

Slide your hand down your face, in front of your nose.

Say "shhh" as you slide your hand down your face

If you are sitting down, you do the 5 S's while you move your hand: Sit up straight, sit still, sit silently, soft breathing, shut eyes.

If you are standing do the same but you are standing straight, still, silently, using soft breathing and shut eyes while you move your hand down your face.

"Master of Mindfulness" (Grossman & Alvarez, 2016)
This activity is similar to the first mindful breathing activity, however it uses visualising colours as a means to increase focus and awareness. You may like to download our printable Breathing Colours Guided Meditation Script.

Ask students to think of a relaxing colour. It can be any colour they like, as long as it is one that makes them think of relaxation.

Ask students to think of a colour that represents stress, sadness or anger. Whichever of those emotions is most relevant or suitable for your class group to explore.

Students imagine breathing in the relaxing colour and visualise it filling their lungs.

Students then imagine breathing out the stress, sadness or anger colour.

Your spoken instructions may be along these lines:

1. Imagine you are surrounded by the relaxing colour. No longer is the air clear, it is the relaxing colour.

2. You can still make out shapes, but your world is now a different colour.

3. Imagine that as you breathe in, you breathe in this colour too.

4. See the colour filling up your lungs.

5. Imagine as you breathe out, that your breath is the colour of stress.

6. See the stress colour mix into the relaxing colour around you. Watch the stress colour slowly disappear.

7. Breath in your relaxing colour.

8. Breath out the stress colour.

#6 Breathing Hands
(2 minutes)

Spread one hand out like a star.

Use the index finger on your other hand to trace the outline of your star hand.

Take a deep breath in as you move to the top of your thumb.

Breathe out as you move down between your thumb and first finger.

Take another breath in as you move to the top of your first finger.

Breathe out as you move down between your first and second finger.

Repeat until you have taken five slow, deep breaths.

#7 Back-to-Back Breathing
(10 minutes)

Students work in pairs for this partnered breathing activity.

Sitting tall, with their back resting against their partner's back, begin the mindful breathing from activity #1.

Encourage students to notice their partner's breath.
- Is it shallow or deep?
- Fast or slow?
- Can they feel their partner's back moving as they breathe?

After a little while, students may find that their breath falls into sync with their partner.

Or it may not! These are all talking points for bringing awareness to the breath, in the present moment.

You could incorporate your Mindfulness Pinwheels into this activity too.

(Jennifer Cohen Harper, Little Flower Yoga)
This is a fantastic activity that students can "take home" with them. It can be particularly useful to do a body scan to help relax before sleep. Download our printable Body Scan Guided Meditation Script to use with your class.

Students lay on the floor, with their eyes closed if they are comfortable (or they may prefer to look at the ceiling).

Encourage students to pay attention to their feet for 5 or 10 seconds.
Questions to ask during a body scan:
- How does this body part feel?
- Is it cold or warm?
- Does it feel tight or relaxed?
- Is all or part of that body part touching the floor?
- Or clothing?
- What does that feel like?

Move on to their toes, then ankles, then calves and knees. Continue body part by body part until you reach the head.

Question how each part of the body feels to bring students' awareness to their body in the moment.

If there is tightness or stress, imagine breathing the stress out of that part of the body with each exhale.

Practising Active Mindfulness

Mindful breathing is arguably the most important skill you can teach your students when it comes to mindfulness. However, being able to incorporate into everyday activities the calm and focused state of mind that the breathing activities practise can be viewed as a more tangible end-goal.

The following 'active' practices help to hone the skill of mindful action. Some students who struggle with the 'still' mindfulness activities may be more likely to feel successful during active practices.

#9 Mindful Eats
(5 minutes)

This is a great activity to bring attention to how mindlessly we sometimes eat! Whether sitting in front of the tv, chatting to friends at lunch, or scrolling through something on the internet or social media, we often "switch off" when eating because it is such a familiar action.

Mindful eating can combat over-eating, it helps bring our attention to the flavours and tastes of different foods and helps us to realise what effects different foods have on how our bodies feel.

Students need something small to eat for this activity. Often a square of chocolate is a fun "challenge", although you could provide a piece of fruit or any food item that you feel will work with your class. Be sure to take any allergies into consideration!

Begin this practice with three deep breaths, or the Shark Fin activity (#4 above).

Direct students to take small nibbles or bites of the food.

Bring awareness to the sensations of eating.
- What is the taste like? Is it sweet or savoury?
- What does the food feel like on your tongue?
- Do you need to crunch it between your teeth, or can you slowly dissolve it in your mouth?
- Try taking a slightly smaller or slightly larger bite.
- How does this change the way eating this food feels?
- Notice which muscles in your mouth, neck and body move as you swallow the food.
- Pause between each bite and notice any changing sensations in your mouth or body.

#10 Mindful Steps
(10 minutes)

This activity is best completed outdoors and if suitable, students may like to walk barefoot.

Give students a clear boundary for where they can walk during this activity.

Each student selects a small area where they can walk in a line for about 5 or 6 steps and back then back to where they started without getting into another person's way.

Begin this practice with three deep breaths, or the Shark Fin activity (#4 above).

Take 5 or 6 steps in one direction, turn slowly and then take 5 or 6 steps back to where you started.

While walking, students bring their awareness to their breath and their body.
- What does the ground feel like under your feet?
- Which part of your foot touches the ground first when you take a step?
- Does your body feel heavy or light today?
- Are you slouching when you walk?
- Or, is your back up quite straight?
- Try not to change the way you walk, but instead just notice how your body naturally moves.

#11 Mindful Sounds
(2 minutes)

For this mindfulness activity, you will need something that makes a bell sound. There are some great meditation apps that have recorded bell, meditation cymbal and singing bowl sounds, however, if you can have one of these small instruments in real life, the sound is much better!

Begin this practice with three deep breaths, or the Shark Fin activity (#4 above).

Give the following instructions before ringing the bell:
- When I ring the bell concentrate on the sound that you hear.
- Pay attention to whether you hear it louder in one ear than you do in the other.
- Keep your eyes closed until the sound is completely gone.
- If you notice your thoughts wandering, just bring your attention back to the sound of the bell.
- After you open your eyes, remain silent until you hear my voice again.

Students close their eyes, while the teacher rings the bell.

The activity is finished when the sound has completely dissipated.

#12 Spidey Senses
(5 minutes)

Karen Young from Hey Sigmund has a beautiful collection of mindfulness activities for kids on her blog. Spidey Senses is a fun way to frame this traditional mindfulness exercise. Our five senses poster and graphic organiser can be useful resources for teaching the senses to younger students.

Ask students to switch their senses up to a superpower level, just like Spiderman.

In this moment,
- What can they hear?
- What can they see?
- What can they taste?
- What can they smell?
- What can they feel?

Guide students as they stay in this Spidey state for 2-3 minutes.

#13 Gratitude Practice
(5-10 minutes)

Students use a notebook or a folder and paper to make a Gratitude Journal.

Practise gratitude journaling at a regular time each day, perhaps first thing in the morning, after lunch or just before the end of the day.

Take five minutes to think of something that you feel grateful for today. Here are some topics or ideas you can use to guide your students:
- Something that someone else did for you that day.
- A person in your life that you appreciate.
- An activity or hobby you are grateful to be able to do.
- A positive quality of someone that can sometimes be hard to get along with.
- A skill or ability you have.
- A part of your body you are grateful for and why.
- An item that you love.
- Something that made you laugh.
- What you have learnt from something that was hard.

Another beautiful idea is for each student to put their day's thanks into their own Gratitude Jar, or to create a Gratitude Tree where each day's thanks is written onto a 'leaf'. This could either be on a notice-board or be hanging on a string from the limb of a real plant or tree branch. (Mayuri Gonzales, Little Flower Yoga)

#14 Glitter Bottle
(5 minutes)

Use this familiar sensory bottle concept as a mean to explicitly teach how mindfulness can help to calm us when we are feeling stressed, anxious, sad or angry.
Preparation

Fill a bottle or jar with water, leaving 2-3 cm of space at the top.

Add a generous amount of glitter glue to the bottle (or a combination of PVC glue and regular glitter).

Seal the bottle well!

You may like to make one large bottle to use as an example for whole-class instruction, or a set of bottles that can be used by individuals or for small group rotations.

Directions

Shake the bottle well to mix the glitter, water and glue.

Share the following words with your students:

"'Imagine that the glitter is like your thoughts when you're stressed, mad or upset. See how they whirl around and make it really hard to see clearly? That's why it's so easy to make silly decisions when you're upset - because you're not thinking clearly. Don't worry this is normal and it happens in all of us (yep, grown-ups too).

[ Now put the jar down in front of them.]

Now watch what happens when you're still for a couple of moments. Keep watching. See how the glitter starts to settle and the water clears? Your mind works the same way. When you're calm for a little while, your thoughts start to settle and you start to see things much clearer."
(by Karen Young of Hey Sigmund)
#15 Mindful Safari
(10-30 minutes)

Another beautiful child-friendly reframing of a traditional mindfulness practice is to take your students on a Mindful Safari.

Instruct students to remain quiet, calm their thoughts and move slowly while on safari.

Ask students to turn their sense of sight, touch and sound onto high.

Search for beautiful natural objects to explore.
- What does it look like?
- What colour is it?
- What does it smell like?
- Can I touch it?
- What does it feel like?

Search for mini-beasts and other creatures that move.

When they find a creature, encourage students to watch the creature in silence for as long as they would like to.
- What does it look like?
- How does it move?
- What colours can you see on its body?

#16 Sense Countdown
(5 minutes)

A great one for older students, this is an extension of the Spidey Senses activity that can be used to help calm a busy mind and bring our awareness to the present moment.

Think of:

5 things you can see

4 things you can touch

3 things you can hear

2 things you can smell

1 thing you can taste

#17 Heartbeat
(5 minutes)

Our heartbeat is an amazing representation of our emotions. Like our breath, it is always with us. So, we can use our heartbeat to connect with the present moment in times of difficulty or stress.

You might like to begin this practice with three deep breaths, or the Shark Fin activity (#4 above).

Students place their fingers or hands over the part of their body where they can best feel their pulse.
- on the side of their neck, under their jaw
- inside their wrist
- or, over their heart

Ask students to close their eyes and notice how quickly or slowly their heart is beating.

Encourage them to think about their current state of emotion and consider if this might be connected to how quickly or slowly their heart is beating.

Direct students to stand and jump up and down on the spot ten times.

Students return to sitting and feel their heartbeat again, noticing any changes.

Students may like to close their eyes and focus on their heartbeat until it slows back down.

#18 Add a Touchy Feely Focus
(5 - 10 minutes)

Saving the best for last, Shakti Burke gives these great tips for helping wiggly kids begin to master mindfulness. Burke suggests:

Restless minds are magnetised by the sensation of touch: we can't think and feel at the same time. The stroking and feeling itself (when using a prop to help children focus) becomes the meditation, in place of the breath awareness focus.

You might like to begin your class journey towards mindfulness with some of these more tactile activities.
Provide students with a prop to hold, touch, balance or focus their eyes on during one of the above activities.

small soft toys

small bean bags or beany pillows

stress balls

pieces of furry fabric

There you go! 18 amazing activities to help teach mindfulness in your classroom. Mindfulness truly is a skill that will benefit your students as individuals, long after they leave your classroom for the final time.

Check out our beautifully illustrated Mindfulness Activity Task Cards that you can use to support mindfulness practice with your students.

Whole Class Daily Mindfulness Activity Tracker

Track your class' progress to superhero status with these beautiful Mindfulness Activity Tracker Charts can be used to note each day of whole-class practice.

The charts are available in three formats:

Each download comes with a page of illustrated markers that can be stuck onto the chart. The black and white downloads of these trackers are also fantastic for students to use for their personal mindfulness practice.

If you are new to mindfulness for children, take a look at our post "Why You Should Be Teaching Mindfulness to Improve Student Learning" for practical tips and tricks to begin your class mindfulness practice routine. You can also download our free Mindfulness Information Sheet for Teachers with eight succinct and actionable tips.

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5 Minute Classroom Mindfulness Activities | Mindfulness for Children

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Written by Cassie (Teach Starter) Posted Tuesday August 29, 2017 Put simply, mindfulness is "to pay attention, on purpose, to the present moment" (Grossman, 2016). The positive benefits of teaching mindfulness to children have been proven across a number of studies. Incorporating mindfulness into everyday classroom activity is becoming more and more common.

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Mindfulness Activities for Children And Teens: 25 Fun Exercises For Kids

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Mindfulness Activities for Children And Teens: 25 Fun Exercises For Kids

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Mindfulness can boost the quality of our lives in numerous ways.

In today's rush, we all think too much-seek too much-want too much-and forget about the joy of just being.

- Eckhart Tolle

What does mindfulness do to spark "the joy of just being" that Tolle references? And, how can we teach kids to start benefiting from its practice?

This article delves into both of these questions and includes plenty of activities for you to start using today.

Research confirms that for children, mindfulness can:

Mitigate the effects of bullying (Zhou, Liu, Niu, Sun, & Fan, 2016);

Enhance focus in children with ADHD (Zhang et al., 2016);

Reduce attention problems (Crescentini, Capurso, Furlan, & Fabbro, 2016);

Improve mental health and wellbeing;

Improve social skills when well taught and practiced with children and adolescents.

It's also important for caregivers and educators to provide age-appropriate mindfulness practices to children.

For example, fostering mindfulness in preschoolers with tools like pictures, objects, food, simple movements, and music, can help them develop an ability to better focus their attention and stay present.

In a study by Flook et al., (2015), kids were asked to engage in an activity called "Belly Buddies", in which they listened to music while also noticing the sensation of a small tone on their stomachs rising and falling with each breath.

The kids became more attune to their bodies, breath and to the music.

Ultimately, simple activities like these can have long-lasting developmental benefits when practiced regularly.

Want more? We have 25 mindfulness activities designed specifically for children. Plus, they are fun to do.

But, before you read on, we thought you might like to download our three Mindfulness Exercises for free. These science-based, comprehensive exercises will not only help you cultivate a sense of inner peace throughout your daily life but will also give you the tools to enhance the mindfulness of your children, students or young clients.

4 Fun Mindfulness Activities and Exercises for Children

Let's start with these simple ways to attune children with their bodies. At a young age, humans naturally curious about the strength and flexibility of their bodies. It's a great age to introduce body-mind awareness as a valuable way to take care of themselves.

Mindful Posing

One easy way for children to dip their toes into mindfulness is through body poses. To get your kids excited, tell them that doing fun poses can help them feel strong, brave, and happy.

Have the kids go somewhere quiet and familiar, a place they feel safe. Next, tell them to try one of the following poses:

1. The Superman: this pose is practiced by standing with the feet just wider than the hips, fists clenched, and arms reached out to the sky, stretching the body as tall as possible.

2. The Wonder Woman: this pose is struck by standing tall with legs wider than hip-width apart and hands or fists placed on the hips (Karen Young, 2017).

Ask the kids how they feel after a few rounds of trying either of these poses. You may be surprised.

Spidey-Senses

While on the subject of superheroes, this can be a related "next step" to teach kids how to stay present.

Instruct your kids to turn-on their "Spidey senses," or the super-focused senses of smell, sight, hearing, taste, and touch that Spiderman uses to keep tabs on the world around him. This will encourage them to pause and focus their attention on the present, opening their awareness to the information their senses bring in (Karen Young, 2017).

This is a classic mindfulness exercise and encourages observation and curiosity-great skills for any human to practice.

The Mindful Jar

This activity can teach children how strong emotions can take hold, and how to find peace when these strong emotions feel overwhelming.

First, get a clear jar (like a Mason jar) and fill it almost all the way with water. Next, add a big spoonful of glitter glue or glue and dry glitter to the jar. Put the lid back on the jar and shake it to make the glitter swirl.

Finally, use the following script or take inspiration from it to form your own mini-lesson:

"Imagine that the glitter is like your thoughts when you're stressed, mad or upset. See how they whirl around and make it really hard to see clearly? That's why it's so easy to make silly decisions when you're upset - because you're not thinking clearly. Don't worry this is normal and it happens in all of us (yep, grownups too).

[Now put the jar down in front of them.]

Now watch what happens when you're still for a couple of moments. Keep watching. See how the glitter starts to settle and the water clears? Your mind works the same way. When you're calm for a little while, your thoughts start to settle and you start to see things much clearer. Deep breaths during this calming process can help us settle when we feel a lot of emotions" (Karen Young, 2017).

This exercise not only helps children learn about how their emotions can cloud their thoughts, but it also facilitates the practice of mindfulness while focusing on the swirling glitter in the jar.

Try having the kids focus on one emotion at a time, such as anger, and discuss how the shaken verse settling glitter is like that emotion.

Safari

The Safari exercise is a great way to help kids learn mindfulness. This activity turns an average, everyday walk into an exciting new adventure.

Tell your kids that you will be going on a safari: their goal is to notice as many birds, bugs, creepy-crawlies, and any other animals as they can. Anything that walks, crawls, swims, or flies is of interest, and they'll need to focus all of their senses to find them, especially the little ones (Karen Young, 2017).

A similar exercise for adults is the mindfulness walk. This exercise provokes the same response in children that a mindful walk elicits in adults: a state of awareness and grounding in the present.

If you're interested in more information on how to encourage the practice of mindfulness in children and teens, you can check out the other exercises from this website. Otherwise, head on to the next section where we lay out key tips for teaching these concepts.

15 Tips for Teaching Mindfulness to Kids and Teenagers

When you are trying to teach your kids or young clients about mindfulness and its benefit, we recommend you begin with a few guidelines:

1. Make sure they are ready to give mindfulness a try; if they are full of energy and itching to run and play, it may not be the best time for practicing mindfulness for the first time.

2. Explain what mindfulness is and what it is not; give examples of what seems similar to mindfulness but is not (i.e., introspection or chasing thoughts down the "rabbit hole" versus listening to our bodies).

3. Say it in an age-appropriate way, with words they will understand.

4. Offer to practice mindfulness with them; sometimes having a model makes all the difference.

5. Assure them that it's okay to get off track, and how to gently guide themselves back to mindfulness when they realize they lost focus.

6. Finish the practice by doing something they enjoy with them to ensure they have a positive experience.

Megan Cowan, co-founder, and co-director at the Mindful Schools program in Oakland, also has some tips on how to teach mindfulness to kids (2010):

1. Keep the purpose of mindfulness practice in mind. Be sure to engage in mindful practice with children in positive situations, and never use it as a disciplinary tool.

2. Make sure you practice mindfulness yourself!

3. Set a daily routine for practicing mindfulness to make sure you incorporate it.

4. Prepare the environment for successful practice; move the furniture around or have everyone switch positions.

5. Involve students in the process; perhaps designate a different child each day to alert the class when it's time to practice mindfulness or help set up any tools or props.

6. Share your own experiences with the kids; this will help them understand how mindfulness is applied and practiced in everyday life. Feel free to share how you redirect yourself when you feel distracted during a mindfulness session.

7. Encourage the children to share their experiences as well, whether they were good experiences with mindfulness or experiences in which they got distracted. Maybe each session can end with a few students sharing how it went for them.

8. Practice every day. The more you embed mindfulness into the daily routine, the easier it is to engage.

Cowan (2010) also includes a short script if you'd like to use her mini-lesson.

Relay the following instructions to your kids:

"Please get into your mindful bodies-still and quiet, sitting upright, eyes closed."

"Now place all your attention on the sound you are about to hear. Listen until the sound is completely gone."

Ring a "mindfulness bell," or have a student ring the bell. Use a bell with a sustained sound or a rain stick to encourage mindful listening.

"Please raise your hand when you can no longer hear the sound."

When most or all have raised their hands, you can say, "Now slowly, mindfully, move your hand to your stomach or chest, and just feel your breathing."

You can help students stay focused during the breathing with reminders like, "Just breathing in ... just breathing out ..."

Ring the bell to end.

For more in-depth tips and ideas on teaching mindfulness to children, check out the book Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children by Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village Community.

The website from editor and children's book author Annaka Harris also provides some great ideas for exercises that teach mindfulness to children.

8 Mindfulness Games, YouTube Videos, and Apps to Support Your Teachings

Technology offers learning and development for these practices. To ensure that you are using technology to your advantage when it comes to teaching children mindfulness, give some of these resources a try.

Smiling Minds App

Another application that is popular for children as young as seven is the Smiling Mind app. This app is available through the Apple app store as well as the Google Play store. It is free to download and use.

This app offers similar features to the Mindfulness for Children app, including a body scan activity. There are dozens of modules with hundreds of sessions available, each customized for wellbeing, education, and the workplace (for adults).

If you'd like to check out the reviews for this app or learn more about it, visit the website.

Still Quiet Place

If you'd like to use a video to help your kids learn how to practice mindfulness, the "Mindfulness Exercises for Kids: Still Quiet Place Video" is a great resource. This animated video can help students learn how to go to a "still quiet place."

Check out the video here, and scroll down to the link below the video to see more activities from GoZen.com.

Mindfulness Games for Kids

Several interactive games are available on the Kids Activities Blog. Here are just a few:

1. Blowing bubbles. Have your kids focus on taking in a deep, slow breath, and exhaling steadily to fill the bubble. Encourage them to pay close attention to the bubbles as they form, detach, and pop or float away.

2. Pinwheels. Use the same tactics from blowing bubbles to encourage mindful attention on the pinwheels.

3. Playing with balloons. Tell your kids that the aim of this game is to keep the balloon off the ground, but have them move slowly and gently. You can tell them to pretend the balloon is very fragile if that helps.

4. Texture bag. Place several small, interestingly shaped or textured objects in a bag. Have each child reach in and touch an object, one at a time, and describe what they are touching. Make sure they don't take the object out of the bag, forcing them to use only their sense of touch to explore the object.

5. Blindfolded taste tests. Use a blindfold for each child and have them experience eating a small food, like a raisin or a cranberry, as if it was their first time eating it.

If you want to know about more games you can play with children to teach them about mindfulness, check out the book Mindful Games: Sharing Mindfulness and Meditation with Children, Teens, and Families by Susan Kaiser Greenland.

2 Mindfulness Training Classes For Children with Anxiety

Mindfulness practice can be an especially important component of a child's life if they suffer from anxiety. Learning about mindfulness and how to engage in mindfulness can help a child realize that worrying is normal, and there are useful coping methods when we are worrying too much.

Aside from the Mindful Schools program mentioned earlier, there are classes and programs designed especially for children, and even a few that are structured for children with anxiety.

Child Mind Institute focus on education, care and science, and offers various programs. Programs are customised to your needs, so contact them via their website to book for a workshop.

There is also a popular course called "MonkeyMind and Me: A Mindfulness Course for Children." Children learn how to meditate and practice mindfulness over eight one hour sessions held over eight weeks.

The lessons are delivered through stories about MonkeyMind, a friendly puppet who has trouble with self-regulation ("MonkeyMind and Me", 2017). The course includes lessons, opportunities to practice, design of a homemade project, and a graduation ceremony.

The structure of these lessons and exercises transforms teaching mindfulness into an experience everyone might enjoy-and benefit from.

The Basics: Teaching Essential Mindfulness Practices and Skills

Before you delve into the classroom, review these basic skills and you may have better success with students and clients learning mindfulness.

Mindful Breathing

Mindful breathing is a staple of practicing mindfulness. It is the foundation of many other exercises. To help kids learn how to engage in mindful breathing, you can use a video like the one below:

This video guides children through a breathing meditation by instructing them to imagine a sailboat that rises and falls as they breathe; with each inhale and exhale, the boat moves gently on top of the water.

They also get an opportunity to visualize their breath with a color and focus on the experience of their breath moving through their nostrils. Lastly, the video ends with the exercise of the children imagining (with their eyes closed) that they used to be a fish and paying attention to how it would feel to breathe through their lungs for the first time.

Body Scan

The body scan is a key practice in mindfulness, and an easy one to teach to children.

Have your kids lie down on their back on a comfortable surface and close their eyes;

Then tell them to squeeze every muscle in their body as tight as they can.

Tell them to squish their toes and feet, squeeze their hands into fists, and make their legs and arms as hard as stone;

After a few seconds, have them release all their muscles and relax for a few minutes;

Encourage them to think about how their body is feeling throughout the activity (Roman, 2015).

This simple exercise gets kids to be more aware of their bodies and helps them find a way to be present in the moment.

Heartbeat Exercise

Paying attention to one's heartbeat has a role in many mindfulness exercises and activities. To begin, tell your kids to jump up and down in place or do jumping jacks for one minute.

When they have finished, have them sit down and put a hand over their heart. Instruct them to close their eyes and pay attention only to their heartbeat and, perhaps, their breath as well (Roman, 2015).

This exercise teaches children to notice their heartbeat, and use it as a tool to help their focus. These skills will come in handy as they start engaging in more advanced mindfulness activities.

Mindfulness Meditation for Very Young Children

You might be thinking that these tips and exercises are great for elementary or middle school students, but less realistic for young children. This section focuses on children who are toddlers through kindergarten graduates.

One mother explained laid out her five strategies for teaching young children mindfulness-starting with her three-year-old child learning mindfulness.

Her strategies are:

Teach kids to recognize and identify their own emotions. Children need to associate the word or term for an emotion with the actual experience of feeling that emotion. Encourage them to think about how each emotion feels in their body. Does anger feel like they've got steam coming out of their ears? Does love make them feel like their heart is going to burst open?

Validate their emotions. Children often respond with frustration or sadness when told that their pain, however trivial it seems to us, is "not a big deal." When teaching mindfulness, let kids feel their feelings without fear of judgment. Focus instead on teaching them tools to listen to their emotions.

Teach kids mindful breathing strategies. As we noted above, mindful breathing is a building block in all mindfulness practices. Children benefit from focusing on their breathing when confronted with emotions that are hard to manage.

The author of the blog laid out three techniques she has put to use with her children:

1. Noticing the breath: this involves simply paying attention to what breathing actually feels like.
2. Five-finger starfish meditation: this breathing technique has kids holding up one hand in a starfish position (fingers spread wide) while they gently trace up and down each finger with the other hand, focusing on regular breathing at the same time.
3. Counting the breath: this technique is what it sounds like: have your children pause and count their breaths. One breath in is "1", the next breath out is "2," etc. You can have them count to 10 if they're very young, or slightly higher depending on their abilities.

Lead them in a guided meditation. Use a script or an exercise or app like the ones described above for this meditation.

Practice what you preach. As we mentioned earlier, it is so important to actually "do as you say." Kids are intuitive and human nature encourages mimicry, two advantages we can harness when trying to teach (Beach, "Baby Buddhas.")

Guide your kids every step of the way, but make sure you are taking those steps yourself as well. It will make everyone's practice richer.

The Benefits Of Mindfulness In Schools (K12) + Videos

Childhood and adolescence are important developmental stages that will construct the groundwork for mental health in the adult developmental stage.

In recent literature, mindfulness-based school programs have demonstrated a range of social, cognitive, and emotional benefits for elementary and middle-school students.

Cognitive Benefits

Executive function is a set of mental skills that constitutes attention, switching focus, planning, organizing, and remembering details.

Research in education suggests that mindfulness practice can lead to improvements in executive function in children.

For instance, in the study of Flook et al., (2010) conducted on 3 rd graders, students who went through an 8-week mindfulness program showed improvements in behavioral regulation, metacognition, and focus compared to the control group who did not have the mindfulness program.

In another study, students who had a 24-week mindfulness training scored higher in attentional measures in their elementary school (Napoli et al., 2004). Additionally, a study on preschoolers emphasized that children who went through a mindfulness curriculum for 12 weeks earned higher marks on academic performance measures. They also showed greater improvements in areas that predict future success (Flook et al., 2015).

Social Benefits

A social skill is any skill that we use to interact and communicate with others.

Deficits and excesses in social behavior can affect learning, understanding, and classroom climate. Recent research on lower-income and ethnic minority elementary school children highlighted how a 5-week mindfulness curriculum can lead to better participation in activities, as well as nurture a classroom culture of mutual respect and care in 9th-grade students (Black et al., 2013).

Emotional Benefits

Emotional health, which is a positive sense of wellbeing, is an important component of child and adolescent development. Emotional problems such as anxiety, stress, and depression can affect self-esteem, performance, and social interactions.

Mindfulness practice may facilitate the ability to manage stress, and also lead to deeper wellbeing in students.

According to one study by Schonert-Reichl and his colleagues (2010), mindfulness practice leads to higher scores on self-report measures of optimism and positive emotions in elementary school students.

Moreover, in a study conducted by Wall (2005), self-reported findings showed preteens feeling calmer, with an enhanced experience of well-being-and improved sleep-after a 5-week modified mindfulness-based stress reduction program.

Videos on Mindfulness in Schools

These four videos can help students open their minds to the benefits of mindfulness. We recommend pairing any of these segments with a discussion.

Questions for after the selected clip can include, "Has anyone practiced mindfulness, and how has it gone for you?" or "What do you think is the reason most people do not practice mindfulness, and how can we start changing this?"

A Take-Home Message

Research confirms that mindfulness can improve mental health by aiding wellbeing, attention, self-regulation, and social competency. It just needs to be practiced-and encouraged.

Mindfulness-based programs in schools can have a life-long impact on the psychological, social, and cognitive wellbeing of children and teens. Even at home or with clients, how can you incorporate mindfulness into your teachings and own schedule?

Do you have kids or work with kids on a regular basis? Try these tips and activities out, and let us know how they worked in the comments section below.

Good luck, and remember this old saying:

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don't forget to download our three Mindfulness Exercises for free.

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25 Fun Mindfulness Activities for Children & Teens (+Tips!)

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Here's a list of fun mindfulness activities and exercises for kids that will teach them about mindfulness in a playful way. Enjoy!

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Mindful Schools Mindfulness Fundamentals Course for Educators

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Mindful Schools Mindfulness Fundamentals Course for Educators

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Why Mindfulness for Educators?

Teaching is incredibly challenging work. Educating and mentoring our youth is a calling that draws some of the most dedicated people on the planet. It's tough, high-stakes work, that can result in stress, overwhelm, and burnout.

Mindful educators, mentors, and parents feel more calm, effective, creative, and confident; they're less likely to burn-out, and our students are less likely to miss out on their talents.

Research shows that mindfulness provides us with skills to build attention, improve focus, and manage stress - allowing us to feel nourished and energized to support and connect with students in the classroom, at home, and beyond.

About This Course

This professional development training is specifically designed for educators, mentors, and parents who are dedicated to supporting youth to learn and thrive.

The central objective of this course is to introduce the research, practice, and experience of mindfulness - supporting attention, stress management, and positive states of mind like gratitude, kindness, joy, and compassion. Educators may earn credits upon completion.

This course fulfills the prerequisite for Mindful Educator Essentials, which provides teaching strategies and the research-backed Mindful Schools K-12 curriculum.

Watch trainings and practice talks that will support your learning journey

Easy access with a commitment of roughly 2-3 hours per week

Educators are eligible for Graduate Level Credits

Course Objectives
View a Detailed Syllabus
Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment with openness and curiosity. It has a variety of research-backed impacts, including reduction in stress, and improvements in job satisfaction, emotional regulation, and focus.

This six-week online course is designed to teach you the fundamentals of mindfulness meditation through a series of videos, readings, reflections, and guided mindfulness practices. This course covers current scientific research on mindfulness and the brain, emotion regulation, and compassion. You will learn:

Techniques to practice mindfulness meditation and integrate mindfulness into your daily life

Neuroscience on mindfulness and how it affects the brain

Strategies for meeting and navigating intense emotions

The role mindfulness plays in communication, connection, and interaction

Practices that cultivate positive states of mind like gratitude, kindness, joy, and compassion

Strategies and support for developing a regular sitting practice

The course is facilitated by a highly experienced Guiding Teacher who will direct your learning process by answering questions, providing ongoing feedback, and synthesizing emerging themes. All of our Guiding Teachers have over a decade of mindfulness practice and broad teaching experience. Upon completion, you will have a foundational understanding of mindfulness meditation and tools to cultivate a personal mindfulness practice.

Credits

Upon completing this course: Educators can receive up to 3 graduate level credits. Details

Who Is This For?

Both beginners and those with significant mindfulness experience find this course extremely worthwhile. Participants include educators, counselors, parents, and a wide range of school community members who are excited to share mindfulness with students.

We invite you to join this course if you are curious about exploring and practicing mindfulness alongside a like-minded community of peers who are dedicated to the well-being of children.

This is the first course in the path toward building a "mindful school."

Our Principles

A guiding principle in the Mindful Schools community is the idea that - even before we formally teach mindfulness to students - our own self-care, self-awareness, and personal mindfulness practice serves as an essential model for our students. And as educators, we wouldn't ask our students to do something we haven't tried ourselves.

This is why Mindfulness Fundamentals is a prerequisite for taking our second course, Mindful Educator Essentials. Mindful Educator Essentials provides strategies to integrate and adapt mindfulness into your classroom using our research-backed K-12 Mindful Schools Curriculum.

Our Trainers

The Mindfulness Fundamentals course is designed and taught by Megan Cowan, Chris McKenna, and Matthew Brensilver, PhD. This team has over 50 years of combined mindfulness practice and over 30 years of teaching mindfulness and emotional intelligence to children and adolescents, as well as experience training many thousands of adults.

More questions? Please visit our FAQ page.

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Mindfulness Professional Development for Educators | Mindful Schools

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Why Mindfulness for Educators? Teaching is incredibly challenging work. Educating and mentoring our youth is a calling that draws some of the most dedicated people on the planet. It's tough, high-stakes work, that can result in stress, overwhelm, and burnout.

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.b Curriculum Mindfulness in Schools Project (MISP)

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.b Curriculum Mindfulness in Schools Project (MISP)

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. b , pronounced [dot-be], is the UK's leading mindfulness curriculum for 11-18 year olds in schools. . b stands for 'stop and be', a simple practice at the heart of this ten lesson course.

Each lesson (between 40 minutes and 1 hour) is expertly crafted for use in the classroom to teach a distinct mindfulness skill. The materials are designed to engage even the most sceptical of young minds.

An introduction

An introductory lesson persuades young people that mindfulness is worth learning about by making it relevant to their lives.

Lesson 1 - Playing Attention

Introduces students to this thing we call our "attention" which, like a puppy, needs to be trained.

Lesson 2 - Taming the Animal Mind

Explores different mind states and teaches that 'anchoring' attention in the body, alongside the cultivation of curiosity and kindness, can be calming and nourishing.

Lesson 3 - Recognising Worry

Explains the tricks our mind plays that lead to stress and anxiety, and gives us techniques to deal with them.

Lesson 4 - Being Here Now

Comes to the heart of mindfulness and teaches us how to respond, rather than react, to whatever happens in our lives.

Lesson 5 - Moving Mindfully

Shows us that mindfulness is not just something we do sitting or lying down. It also looks at high performance in sport.

Lesson 6 - Stepping Back

Offers us a new way of relating to our thoughts. We don't have to let them carry us away to places we'd rather not be.

Lesson 7 - Befriending the Difficult

Deals with the greatest challenge of all: dealing with difficult emotions.

Lesson 8 - Taking in the Good

Focuses on gratitude and the 'heartfulness' of taking in & savouring what is 'good' in life.

Lesson 9 - Pulling it Altogether

Consolidates the key techniques from . b and inspires students to use what they have learned in the future.

Students of .b are encouraged to try mindfulness practices at home. To support this, MiSP has made a webpage, optimised for mobile devices, which contains the full guided animations and sound files for practicing these 10 lessons.

Trained .b teachers will be given the passcode for this site. Click here for more information about access.

. b aims to help young people:

To experience greater well-being (e.g. feel happier, calmer, more fulfilled)

To fulfil their potential and pursue their own goals e.g. be more creative, more relaxed, academically, personally

To improve their concentration and focus, in classes, in exams and tests, on the sports field, when playing games, when paying attention and listening to others

To work with difficult mental states such as depressive, ruminative and anxious thoughts and low moods

To cope with the everyday stresses and strains of adolescent life such as exams, relationships, sleep problems, family issues

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.b Curriculum - Mindfulness in Schools Project

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
b, pronounced [dot-be], is the UK's leading mindfulness curriculum for 11-18 year olds in schools. .b stands for 'stop and be', a simple practice at the heart of this ten lesson course. Each .b lesson (between 40 minutes and 1 hour) is expertly crafted for use in the classroom to teach a distinct mindfulness skill.

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Mindfulness for Teachers by Trish Jennings

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Mindfulness for Teachers by Trish Jennings

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Weekly Wellness Progam

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Would you like to sign your whole school (or school district) up? Click here to contact Kenny...

About the program

In less than 10 minutes a day any Pre-K to 8th grade teacher can transform their chaotic classroom into a calm, ready-to-learn classroom with our simple, brain-based mindfulness activities.

You may already be familiar with "Generation Stress"

Today's students are being diagnosed with depression, anxiety, ADHD, eating disorders, cutting, addictions, and other stress-related self-destructive behaviors at epidemic rates.

Most students show up to school in a biological brain state that means it's nearly impossible to pay attention effectively. With each ping of a text, each new level reached on Minecraft, each new standardized assessment test, and each sport or after-school activity that's jam-packed into a student's schedule, stress levels pay a hefty price.

Brain science has proven that when students are stressed, they are physically not able to learn.

Stress is highly contagious

As teachers, we are stressed out too. Our brains are biologically wired to pick up on the emotions of others, so stress levels in the classroom spread faster than the flu virus!

Add in our own feelings of being overwhelmed, while trying to achieve ever-increasing academic expectations, and it should come as no surprise that teacher turnover is also at an all time high.

Here's the good news: Although we're living in the epidemic of Generation Stress, positive emotions are just as infectious as negative emotions. And small changes make a BIG impact in inoculating schools in the stress epidemic.

Just imagine for a moment...

Heading home each school day feeling relaxed, fulfilled and excited to work with even the most challenging of your students

Feeling as passionate about teaching as you did when you were in graduate school

How much easier your job would be if your students were in a ready-to-learn mindset no matter what's going on in their lives outside the classroom

Introducing: Mindful Life™ Schools Weekly Wellness Program

Bite-sized mindfulness activities that build resilience to stress and create a calm yet alert state of mind for Pre-K through 8th grade teachers and their students.

The Mindful Life™ Schools Weekly Wellness program is designed to provide students and teachers with strategies for managing stress to increase happiness, decrease anxiety, and allow the "Smart Part" of the brain to get to work on:

Attention/Focus

Memory

Problem solving

Forward thinking

Impulse control

Decision making

Empathy

And more!

This program has helped more than I could have ever imagined.

Karen G, Teacher, Colorado

We are getting terrific results...

Scott M, Principal, Maine

Studies show that mindfulness significantly increases the attention span, focus and empathy of students while decreasing test anxiety, ADHD behaviors and cruelty.

Our research shows the following remarkable results:

91% of Mindful Life™ trained teachers report significant improvement in their students' listening skills

82% of Mindful Life™ trained teachers report significant improvement in their students' attention span

Mindful Life™ teachers report over-and-over that when their students experience the benefits of mindfulness, their own stress levels are also significantly reduced!

Included in the program:

Each week for the entire school year, you will receive access to a new lesson that can easily be implemented into your existing curriculum in less than 10 minutes a day.

A five-minute video demonstration of the lesson

Specific scripts for (1) Early Childhood (PreK - 2nd), (2) Middle Childhood (3rd - 5th), and (3) Tweens (6th - 8th) to help you explain the brain technique to the students in your classroom

Recommendations on how to spend less than 10 minutes a day to implement each mindfulness activity

Personal wellness practices for you, our teachers

Letters to send home to parents for integrating the mindfulness practices at home

Access to Graduate Level Professional Development Credits

Mindful Life participants are learning how to:

Boost attention and performance using mindfulness training exercises

Understand why each mindfulness skill will enhance brain functioning

Use mindfulness activities to help students and teachers manage difficult emotions

Play games that will increase their students' self-compassion, empathy and kindness

Help students foster grit, resilience and, develop a growth mindset with simple mindfulness exercises

Created and Taught by Dr. Kristen Race

This dynamic online offering is created and presented by Mindful Life™ Schools' founder and brain scientist, Kristen Race, PhD. Kristen has been featured on NPR, is a columnist for Psychology Today and Huffington Post.

She's presented nationally at the National Association of School Psychologists Conference and at the International Scientific Conference for Clinicians, Researchers and Educators.

Kristen was the director of Counseling Services for Colorado Academy and began her educational career as a teacher at the prestigious Buckley School in New York.

As a PhD. child psychologist, she's trained over 5000 teachers in the Mindful Life™ method and is the author of the acclaimed parenting book, Mindful Parenting.

I love her straightforward, clear and concise delivery...

Susan L, Teacher, California

This online training will transform your classroom, your school, and your community:

Students will learn simple brain research-based tools for paying attention, staying focused and retaining information

Teachers will get tools for increasing their stress resiliency even in the face of the most challenging classroom behavior

Parents will get easy explanations from the teachers about how to further enhance the mindfulness practice at home. They also have access to free family coaching through our parenting newsletter program

Schools will get engaged learners who can easily access their critical-thinking minds despite what's happening around them

Communities will get empowered teachers, parents, and students who can rise to the challenge of educating our 21st century global learners with ease and flexibility

The Mindful Life™ brain-based mindfulness methods have been used by 5000 teachers, in schools across six continents and can easily be worked into your school's culture.

Attention School Principals and Administrators:
Did you know that you can purchase this course for your entire faculty or district?

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Mindful Life™ Schools Weekly Wellness Program For Individual Teachers - Mindful Life™

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Would you like to sign your whole school (or school district) up? Click here to contact Kenny... About the program In less than 10 minutes a day any Pre-K to 8th grade teacher can transform their chaotic classroom into a calm, ready-to-learn classroom with our simple, brain-based mindfulness activities.

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the mindup curriculum: grades 68: brain-focused strategies for learningand living

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resilience (personality trait) in children

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In Brainstorm, Siegel illuminates how brain development impacts teenagers' behavior and relationships. Drawing on important new research in the field of interpersonal neurobiology, he explores exciting ways in which understanding how the teenage brain functions can help parents make what is in fact an incredibly positive period of growth, change, and experimentation in their children's lives less lonely and distressing on both sides of the generational divide.

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The Teenage Brain by Frances Jensen and Amy Ellis Nut

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The Teenage Brain by Frances Jensen and Amy Ellis Nut

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computers / social aspects / human-computer interaction

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popular culture & media: general interest

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The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains

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Finalist for the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction: "Nicholas Carr has written a Silent Spring for the literary mind."―Michael Agger, Slate "Is Google making us stupid?" When Nicholas Carr posed that question, in a celebrated Atlantic Monthly cover story, he tapped into a well of anxiety ...

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2. Our nervous systems are hijacked through excessive arousal from the aforementioned overstimulation. Thinking back to psych 101: Our nervous systems vacillate between states of calm of activation. In a parasympathetic state, we can "rest and digest," whereas sympathetic arousal, is our "fight, flight, freeze" response, when our bodies prepare to protect ourselves. The hormones released during a sympathetic arousal would be dissipated by movement IF we were in fact running from a saber tooth tiger. But, if when our sympathetic system is activated and we don't discharge that energy, because we are drooling over our phone or gaming system, it gets stuck circulating in the body.

Furthermore, we require down time for our systems to come back to stasis, and without this down time, we become addicted to those higher levels of arousal perpetuated by social media, video games, and other highly stimulating screen-based activities. Victoria Dunckley, in Reset Your Child's Brain, warns addiction arousal leaves young people craving more screen time, but also more sensitive to additional stress. If you are all jacked up on cortisol coursing through your system, and then you pile on one more stressor- say a geometry test tomorrow- that is enough to set you over the edge.

3. Digital technology disrupts our sleep. Bright lights disrupt the body's ability to produce melatonin, the hormone that is released when evening cues us to start hitting the hay. Even with screen filters, which do help some, the aforementioned arousal that comes from engaging with digital technology does not create the soothing pre-bed environment our body needs to settle.

It doesn't stop there, however. According to Palladino (147), a 2013 survey of high school students revealed that over 50% reported they were woken in the middle of the night by text messages, phone calls, or emails because they sleep with their phones next to their beds. My students regularly confirm the disrupting nature of technology, reporting that they fall down the digital vortex at night, only at 2am realizing they have no idea where the time went.

There's more, of course, but who has the attention span for that?

The second question still remains: what are we sacrificing when we are on our screens? Time for imaginative and creative play and thinking, practicing musical instruments, playing board games with our family, fully savoring our meals, time outdoors connecting with nature, movement, dance, noticing our emotions and responding to them. The list goes on. As Nicholas Carr points out in the above video, these are the very activities that define humanity. Additionally, we need periods of extended uninterrupted time to engage fully with these experiences.

So, where to start? Here are some thoughts Professor Matthew Day and I have developed to help people start to address their own screen use habits.
Electronic Screen Use Guidelines:
1. Learn to be mindful and task-oriented when using screens. Practice using screens with intention and purpose. Become aware of how easily they can distract you. Consider completing a screen use assessment in order to become familiar with any problematic patterns you might not readily recognize.

2. Develop the habit of using paper, not a screen devices, for note-taking, reading and personal reflection. Writing by hand helps to focus attention, creates space for reflection, and helps to encode information into long term memory. Studies show we comprehend and remember information better when we read from paper instead of screens. Paper, unlike screens, is static and non-interactive. Paper does not have the distraction of containing multiple windows, functions, and hyperlinks. Thus, it does not arouse our sympathetic nervous system. Paper provides space for reflection - a point of view.

3. Create screen free times and spaces. Carving out a space and time to be without screens provides an opportunity to do something different.

Rediscover screen-free meal times. Establish family rules about screen free meal times, and practice developing a family culture that keeps meal times special. Notice how, in the absence of screens, mealtimes can become a time to unwind and reconnect with one another.

Practice good sleep habits. Eliminate screen use for at least an hour before trying to sleep. Most screens emit blue light which interferes with sleep. Keep screens out of bedrooms. Televisions, game systems, and phones all compromise sleep. Use an alarm clock over a cell phone.

Find a time to take a screen sabbatical. Make a commitment to actively take a break from screens. Whether it be for an hour, a day, or a week, practice reengaging with your world without the presence of a screen device baying for your attention.

Designate a place in your home for screen use and storage. Put out a basket or box where everyone can drop their phones in the home. Whenever possible, create work spaces for electronics that do not overlap with spaces for eating, sleeping, or socializing.

4. Take regular breaks while using screens and engage your senses with the physical world. Research shows it is best to take at least a 2 minute break after every 20 minutes of screen time to move and stretch your body. Go outdoors if possible and connect with something natural. Focus visually on an object natural and restful to the eyes that is 20 or more feet away. Engage your sense of taste with something nutritional, hydrate, and if possible, meditate for a few minutes.. Ask yourself if continued screen time is something you need to resume. Repeat for every 20 minutes of continued screen use.

5. Limit screen use with children. Children Under 2: Minimize screen use. Children 2-5: ≤ 1 hour, Co-view slow paced educational (PBS) programming. Children and adolescents: ≤ 2 hours recreational screen usage. If a child is not socially engaged and/or showing symptoms of psychological distress, screen use should be further reduced. Excessive screen use can be an indicator of underlying behavioral and psychological disorders, as well as exacerbate such conditions.

Instead, engage in meaningful ways with world around you.

Have meaningful conversations in real life (face-to-face).

Physically experience the natural world, by engaging all of your senses.

Practice a meaningful activity that develops mastery (juggling, knitting, drawing, play/learn an instrument).

Become sensitive to your feelings and learn how to breathe and center moment to moment.

Learn and practice noticing when you are becoming disconnected from the ones around you, and when they are becoming disconnected from you.

Further Reading:

Carr, N. G. (2010). The shallows: what the Internet is doing to our brains. New York: W.W. Norton.

Dunckley, V. L. (2015). Reset your child's brain: a four-week plan to end meltdowns, raise grades, and boost social skills by reversing the effects of electronic screen-time. Novato, CA: New World Library.

Levy, D. M. (2016). Mindful tech: how to bring balance to our digital lives. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Palladino, L. J. (2015). Parenting in the age of attention snatchers: a step-by-step guide to balancing your child's use of technology. Boston: Shambhala.

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There are two questions that I think each person to should consider when evaluating their own digital technology use habits: 1. WHAT IMPACT DOES MY DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY USE HAVE ON MY WELL-BEING? 2.

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Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant's Meditation Coach on How to Be 'Flow Ready' and Get in the Zone

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Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant's Meditation Coach on How to Be 'Flow Ready' and Get in the Zone

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Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, titans of the NBA, all have something in common that goes beyond their stellar basketball skills and multiple championship rings.

They all credit the same man for helping their game -- sports psychologist and mindful meditation teacher George Mumford.

Mumford worked with the Chicago Bulls championship team for five years during the Jordan hiatus in 1993-1994 and after Jordan came back to the team in 1995. He has since helped countless NBA players, including Kobe and Shaq -- he's currently working with the New York Knicks -- through teaching players mindfulness meditation techniques.

ABCNews.com

Mumford sat down with ABC News' Dan Harris for his livestream podcast show, "10% Happier," in which he talked about how he gets these fierce competitors to sit and practice mindful meditation, which focuses on breathing and relaxation, and how he shows them the practice can greatly improve their game.

When he walks into the locker room, Mumford said he has two approaches.

"First I talk about being a warrior, like a samurai...but also about 'the zone,'" he said. "They know what 'the zone' is, they know what 'being in flow' is, so when I talk about that, they're all ears."

He talked about several different concepts he gives the players, including one he called "one breath, one mind," meaning he gets everyone in the room "to breathe together to become one" team.

"You start talking to them about how the mind-body interacts, you start talking to them about how you can slow time down when you create space between stimulus and response-- [then] three seconds is an eternity," Mumford said.

What Mumford means is taking the time to perceive what is happening in front of us, such as seeing the basket while standing at the free throw line, and then focusing on the response before acting on it, "being present."

"It's more a monitoring aspect with more-- rather than 'I got to make this shot' -- no just shoot," he said. "You've trained your nervous system to do it, so now your conscious thinking needs to be quiet and let your body do what it does... Nothing exists but this moment and what you're doing."

"Meditation is not trying to go anywhere or do anything, meditation and being present is just seeing what's there and letting it speak to you," Mumford continued. "The goal is to be present to what is. ... Can you create space where you can observe it without being identified with it."

Mumford also spoke about his personal journey towards finding meditation, something he details in his book, ""The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance." Growing up in Newton, Massachusetts, Mumford played basketball at University of Massachusetts-Amherst, but he said chronic pain from injuries led him to become addicted to painkillers and eventually heroin and alcohol. At the time, he was working as a finance journalist.

"I was really good at it but it wasn't who I was," Mumford said. "I hit a spiritual bottom... I just wasn't happy. You get to a point where you can't get high and you can't not get high."

"And so on April Fool's Day 1984 a friend of mine came by who I used to get high with and he was clean he took me to an AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] meeting and it totally changed everything," he added. "It started hitting me that I'm going to die if I keep doing this... And so I got to a point where I saw there was a way out."

Mumford initially began practicing meditation as a way to deal with physical pain, "but then it went way beyond that," he said.

"I realized ... it's being connected to something greater than yourself, it's being able to know the truth and 'let the truth set you free' that was the ultimate stress reducer, which is really understanding how this mind-body process works," Mumford said.

After he committed to getting clean almost 32 years ago, Mumford said he got into Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program and later he worked with him to launch a clinic in inner-city Boston. Mumford became a therapist and trained other meditation teachers and worked with a state-wise mediation and yoga program for prison inmates. Then in Oct. 1993, then-Bulls coach Phil Jackson - who is now the president of the Knicks - brought Mumford in to work with the Bulls.

In working with the Bulls and other players on meditation practice, Mumford said he also works with them on "changing the inner dialogue" from negative thoughts to positive ones about love and compassion for themselves and even for the opposing team when they get beat.

When asked how he got a room full of NBA players to embrace thoughts of love and compassion, Mumford laughed and said he tells them, "don't be hatin.'"

"Here's the key, they're not competing against them, they are competing against themselves... the enemy is within," he said. "Mindfulness is not judging, but learning from it and letting it speak to you. ... we're not really hearing what's there, we're interpreting it based on what we already know, and so part of this is to have the vulnerability to not know and just see what this is."

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How Michael Jordan's Meditation Coach Gets Players in the Zone

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Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, titans of the NBA, all have something in common that goes beyond their stellar basketball skills and multiple championship rings. They all credit the same man for helping their game -- sports psychologist and mindful meditation teacher George Mumford.

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7 Ways to Practice Mindfulness in the Technology Age

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7 Ways to Practice Mindfulness in the Technology Age

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I think we've all experienced that awkward moment, when you're speaking to someone and the cell phone rings. For a moment one person glances at their phone, while the other wonders if they're about to be trumped by a phone call. No one likes being ignored in the midst of a cell conversation. It's rude. But this is the reality of our 21st century lifestyle, where technology constantly competes for our attention. Social media, cell phones, emails and iGadgets. It's hard to keep track of it all. And it can stress you out. Twenty years ago, we did not face the same challenges of managing our time and energy. We live in unprecedented times of distraction and stimulation. We are connected 24/7 -- and oddly, disconnected.

It isn't just the plethora of tech offerings that keep us feeling preoccupied and divided, it is our relationship to these devices that keep us wanting more. What can we do to shift our relationship to the technology that surrounds us? How can we make technology work for us and not the other way around?

The good news is we can use technology as a tool to raise our awareness. We can do this by paying attention and asking ourselves questions about the way we use our technology. Just notice: Do you hold your breath when you're working on the computer? Do you notice how often you feel compelled to check your cell phone?

Here are seven ways you can practice mindfulness with your technology platforms. Try these practices as an experiment to raise your own awareness. Refrain from judging yourself or being too harsh about how these practices work for you. These exercises are intended to raise awareness by simply being aware.

1) When the cell phone rings: Have you ever noticed how quickly you respond to the phone ringing? From the moment it rings, do you instantly feel the need to respond right away? Does a ringing phone knock you out of your present moment or disconnect you from the people you're with?

Try taking three deep breaths and center yourself before answering the phone. Experience a moment of presence before answering the phone. Notice what it's like to pause before your answer.

2) Before checking email: Do you ever make a bee-line to your email first thing in the morning? Do you feel the need to constantly check your email?

From the moment you think of checking your email, try waiting 1-2 minutes, or take 10 breaths before checking your email. Notice if this is a challenging practice for you. During those 60 seconds, become highly aware of your breath, feeling state, what you're thinking. Are you impatient, anxious, relaxed? What are you looking for in your email?

Pay close attention to your bodily sensations.

3) When you're checking social media: When you're reading your Facebook newsfeed or your Twitter page, how do you feel? Notice the thoughts you're having as you read each news item. Do you feel neutral, judgment, happiness arising? Notice your emotions and your feeling state.

Which news items bother you most? Which ones do you enjoy the most? Where do your feelings arise from?

How do you feel before and after you check social media?

4) Try leaving your cell at home or turn it off: Do you always feel the need to wear your cell phone? On occasion, practice leaving your cell phone at home, or turn it off. Notice the way you feel when you don't have access to your cell phone. Do you feel naked, disconnected?

Do feelings of insecurity or anxiety arise? Do you feel out of control? Be aware of your true experience without any judgment.

5) When you're working on the computer: Notice your energetic state as you work on your computer. What is the cadence of your breath as you're surfing the net? The quality of your inhale? The quality of your exhale?

Do you feel rushed and pressured, or calm and at ease? What helps you relax while you're working on your computer? See what helps you to breathe easy while you're on your computer.

6) When you're waiting: When you are waiting at a stoplight or for a friend, do you feel the need to check your cell phone? Where does the need arise from? How do you feel when you don't check your cell phone? Are you uncomfortable without having something to do?

What would it be like to simply take three breaths and allow yourself to relax without doing? What helps you to drop into the present moment?

7) Checking your cell: How often do you feel the need to check your cell phone? How do you feel when you receive a text or voicemail? How do you feel when you don't receive any messages?

Be fully aware of what is happening to your energy before, during and after you are using your cell. See how detailed you can become in your own awareness of using your cell phone. Track your feelings, your mental state and your thoughts. It also helps to write them down.

Some of these exercises may seem impossible at first, but you can begin by simply planting a seed of intention: to be more aware when you're using your technology. A simple pause can make a difference. Be light-hearted when you are practicing these exercises. I am often amused by the way I get sucked into social media, and how seriously I take myself while I'm on my computer. I do what I can to raise my own awareness around my use of technology and not to beat myself up about it. Technology, like anything, is inherently neutral and can serve a multitude of purposes. It can be used to escape, hurt others, or even raise your consciousness.

The Huffington Post recently released the GPS for the Soul App at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show). The new app has a free BPM monitor to measure your heart rate and relaxing guides that inspire you to slow down and breathe. I tried it myself. It was a little bizarre at first to have my heart rate measured by my camera lens, but I was amazed by the power of technology to relay information that really lets me know if I'm in a state of ease. These applications have the potential to shift your internal state and are a simple way to start a relaxation practice. We will see more like it to come, and it serves as a perfect example of integrating technology and mindfulness in order to promote health and raise awareness.

Awareness leads to self-empowerment. It allows us to release our automatic reactions and make conscious choices about how we are spending our time and energy. Technology is here to stay. Why not embrace it and use it to raise our levels of presence? We can do this by tuning into our breath, our feelings and bodily sensations. This lets us know how we are relating to technology in the moment. Let each breath you take be a guide in your connection to technology. When you feel yourself tense and breathing little, give yourself permission to take 3-5 slow breaths. Take a walk or break. Your technology will still be there waiting for you.

A good affirmation to practice is "I allow myself to breathe easily and effortlessly as I check my email. I am aware of myself being on the computer. I am aware of my breath and bodily sensations in this moment." In this affirmation, you substitute social media, cell phone, driving, even washing the dishes. You can use any activity to practice mindfulness and to raise your consciousness. Pay attention. By simply noticing, you become aware.
For more by Sura, click here. For more on meditation, click here.

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7 Ways To Practice Mindfulness In The Age Of Technology

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I think we've all experienced that awkward moment, when you're speaking to someone and the cell phone rings. For a moment one person glances at their phone, while the other wonders if they're about to be trumped by a phone call. No one likes being ignored in the midst of a cell conversation.

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iPhone only

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Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR

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Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR

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Sounds True offers transformational programs to help you live a more genuine, loving and meaningful life.

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About This Course

Learn how to integrate mindfulness into your work with youth using our research-backed K-12 Mindful Schools Curriculum. Our curriculum - used by educators, mental health professionals, social workers, and parents across the U.S. and over 100 countries - is adaptable for classrooms, after-school programs, clinical settings, and home. It uses developmentally appropriate language for explaining key mindfulness concepts and practices to youth. You can see a sample module here.

Educators who have completed this course report strong improvements in students' emotional regulation, focus, and engagement, as well as improved connection with students and ability to deliver school curriculum. 98% of our graduates recommend this course.

This six-week self-paced course includes:

Training Kit

K-5 Curriculum (30 modules for ages 5-12)

Middle & High School Curriculum (25 modules for ages 12-17)

Student workbooks

Manuals on facilitation, classroom management plus a Parent Manual and Classroom Manual

Summaries of neuroscience concepts

Program evaluation tools

Over 150 resources for teaching mindfulness to youth in our online Resource Center

Research

Learn to accurately present the research on mindfulness and youth

Understand the basic neuroscience of attention and emotion

Facilitation Skills-Building

Working with youth at different developmental stages

Group facilitation and classroom management skills

Stakeholder Presentations

Resources to present to administrators, school, and agency staff

Graduate Support

Join our vibrant, supportive private community of graduates

Get unlimited access to course content and future update

Participate in our online educator Resource Center, with over 150 resources, including best practice guides, powerpoint presentations, lesson plans, games, classroom activities and more

View a Detailed Course Syllabus here

Credits

Upon completing this course:

Educators can receive up to 3 graduate level credits

Eligible Mental Health Professionals can receive 12 CEUs

Our Principles

One of the core principles of the Mindful Schools Community is the concept that a mindful classroom begins with you.

Teaching is a profession and an expression of personal values. Many of you sought careers in education as a means of expressing your appreciation of learning and your aspiration to support the healthy development of youth. When you teach mindfulness to your students, you are not merely a passive vehicle for delivering a curriculum - your own self-care and personal mindfulness practice serves as a model and a guide for your students.

In support of this principle, we strongly recommend that the first course you take be our personal practice course, Mindfulness Fundamentals.

Please visit our FAQ page for other practice recommendations.

Your Trainers

The course is taught by Megan Cowan, Chris McKenna, and Vinny Ferraro. This team has over 40 years of combined mindfulness practice and over 30 years of teaching mindfulness and/or emotional intelligence to children and adolescents, as well as experience training many thousands of adults. Their work is featured in documentary films Healthy Habits of Mind and Room to Breathe, and MTV's "If You Really Knew Me".

Guiding Teachers

In addition to the Program Team, each Mindful Educator Essentials course has a Guiding Teacher. The Guiding Teacher directs the learning process by synthesizing emerging themes, answering questions, and providing ongoing participant feedback. All of our Guiding Teachers have over a decade of mindfulness practice and broad teaching experience with different youth populations. Your Guiding Teacher is available to answer questions throughout the course.

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Mindful Educator Essentials | Teach Mindfulness to Youth

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Learn how to integrate mindfulness into your work with youth using our research-backed K-12 Mindful Schools Curriculum. Our curriculum - used by educators, mental health professionals, social workers, and parents across the U.S. and over 100 countries - is adaptable for classrooms, after-school programs, clinical settings, and home.

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Sounds True offers transformational programs to help you live a more genuine, loving and meaningful life.

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Why Aren't We Teaching You Mindfulness | AnneMarie Rossi | TEDxYouth@MileHigh

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Not too long ago, most of us thought that the brain we're born with is static-that after a certain age, the neural circuitry cards we're dealt are the only ones we can play long-term.

Fast-forward a decade or two, and we're beginning to see the opposite: the brain is designed to adapt constantly. World-renowned neuroscientist Richie Davidson at the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, along with this colleagues, want us to know three things: 1) you can train your brain to change, 2) that the change is measurable, and 3) new ways of thinking can change it for the better.

It's hard to comprehend how this is possible. Practicing mindfulness is nothing like taking a pill, or another fix that acts quickly, entering our blood stream, crossing the Blood Brain Barrier if needed in order to produce an immediate sensation, or to dull one.

But just as we learn to play the piano through practice, the same goes for cultivating well-being and happiness. Davidson told Mindful that the brain keeps changing over its entire lifespan. And he thinks that's very good news:

We can intentionally shape the direction of plasticity changes in our brain. By focusing on wholesome thoughts, for example, and directing our intentions in those ways, we can potentially influence the plasticity of our brains and shape them in ways that can be beneficial. That leads us to the inevitable conclusion that qualities like warm-heartedness and well-being should best be regarded as skills.

Davidson adds that research on neuroplasticity gives neuroscientists a framework for tracking meditation research. And CIHM is beginning to see that "even short amounts of practice," like 30 minutes of meditation per day, "can induce measurable changes in the brain" that can be tracked on a brain scanner.

Based on recent research, I've chosen to share four ways your brain may change when you practice mindfulness:

* Anterior Cingulate Cortex: Increased grey matter changes were noted in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is a structure located behind the brain's frontal lobe. It has been associated with such functions as self-regulatory processes, including the ability to monitor attention conflicts, and allow for more cognitive flexibility.

* Prefrontal Cortex: Increased grey matter density was also found in areas of the prefrontal lobe, which are primarily responsible for executive functioning such as planning, problem solving, and emotion regulation.

* Hippocampus: Increased cortical thickness in the hippocampus has also been noted. The hippocampus is the part of the limbic system that governs learning and memory, and is extraordinarily susceptible to stress and stress-related disorders like depression or PTSD.

Decreased Amygdala Size:

Studies have shown that the amygdala, known as our brain's "fight or flight" center and the seat of our fearful and anxious emotions, decreases in brain cell volume after mindfulness practice.

Diminished or enhanced functionality in certain networks/connections:

Not only does the amygdala shrink post mindfulness practice, but the functional connections between the amygdala and the pre-frontal cortex are weakened. This allows for less reactivity, and also paves the way for connections between areas associated with higher order brain functions to be strengthened (i.e. attention, concentration, etc.).

Reduced activity in the Brain's "Me" Center:

Mindfulness practice has been implicated in the decreased activation and the stilling of our Default Mode Network (DMN), which is also sometimes referred to as our wandering "Monkey Minds." The DMN is active when our minds are directionless as it goes from thought to thought, a response that is sometimes likened to rumination and not always adaptive with regards to overall happiness.

The impact that mindfulness exerts on our brain is borne from routine: a slow, steady, and consistent reckoning of our realities, and the ability to take a step back, become more aware, more accepting, less judgmental, and less reactive. Just as playing the piano over and over again over time strengthens and supports brain networks involved with playing music, mindfulness over time can make the brain, and thus, us, more efficient regulators, with a penchant for pausing to respond to our worlds instead of mindlessly reacting.

This post was originally published on mindful.org in August 2015.

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Not too long ago, most of us thought that the brain we're born with is static-that after a certain age, the neural circuitry cards we're dealt are the only ones we can play long-term. Fast-forward a decade or two, and we're beginning to see the opposite: the brain is designed to adapt constantly.

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Richard Davidson
Center Founder and Director

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The Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is a global leader in understanding the mind, our emotions and well-being.

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Current Issue Discover the latest issue of Mindful magazine read our newsletter Get the latest in mindfulness, delivered to your inbox

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The Greater Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life

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The Greater Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life

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Greater Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life

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Based at UC Berkeley, Greater Good reports on groundbreaking research into the roots of compassion, happiness, and altruism.

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The American Mindfulness Research Association (AMRA) 

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The American Mindfulness Research Association (AMRA) 

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Recommended Readings for our Community

June 2024 article references added to the AMRA library. Members have full access to the AMRA reference library spanning 1960-2024. Online article access is controlled solely by journal publishers and open access policies and is not controlled by AMRA.

Amaral, C. C., Fernandez, M. dos S., Chisini, L. A., Boscato, N., Jansen, K., & Goettems, M. L. (2024). Sleep hygiene measures combined with mindfulness meditation in the management of sleep bruxism in children: A randomized controlled clinical trial. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry.

Arthur-Cameselle, J. N., & Keeler, L. A. (2024). Effects of Brief Mindfulness Training on Basketball Free-Throw Shooting Performance Under Pressure: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Dosage Response. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology.

Fan, X.-F., Peng, J.-Y., Zhang, L., Hu, Y.-L., Li, Y., Shi, Y., & Zhang, T.-M. (2024). The impact of mindfulness therapy combined with mentalization-based family therapy on suicidal ideation in adolescents with depressive disorder: Randomized intervention study. Annals of General Psychiatry.

Hanley, A. W., Wilson Zingg, R., Smith, B., Zappa, M., White, S., Davis, A., Worts, P. R., Culjat, C., & Martorella, G. (2024). Mindfulness in the Clinic Waiting Room May Decrease Pain: Results from Three Pilot Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine.

Kander, T. N., Lawrence, D., Fox, A., Houghton, S., & Becerra, R. (2024). The influence of app-based mindfulness training on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during an attentional control task: A fNIRS driven pilot study. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports.

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American Mindfulness Research Association - Home

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June 2024 article references added to the AMRA library. Members have full access to the AMRA reference library spanning 1960-2024. Online article access is controlled solely by journal publishers and open access policies and is not controlled by AMRA. Amaral, C. C., Fernandez, M. dos S., Chisini, L.

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How to Teach Kids About the Brain: Laying Strong Foundations for Emotional Intelligence

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How to Teach Kids About the Brain: Laying Strong Foundations for Emotional Intelligence

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by Karen Young

Knowledge is power. When children understand what's happening in the brain, it can be the first step to having the power to make choices. Knowledge can be equally powerful to parents too. Knowing how the brain works means we can also understand how to respond when our children need our help.

Sometimes our brains can become overwhelmed with feelings of fear, sadness or anger, and when this happens, it's confusing - especially to children. So giving children ways to make sense of what's happening in their brain is important. It's also helpful for children to have a vocabulary for their emotional experiences that others can understand. Think of it like a foreign language; if the other people in your family speak that language too, then it's easier to communicate with them.

So how do you start these conversations with your children, make it playful enough to keep them engaged, and simple enough for them to understand?

Here is how I teach children (and parents) how to understand the brain.

Introducing the brain house: the upstairs and the downstairs

I tell children that their brains are like a house, with an upstairs and a downstairs. This idea comes from Dr Dan Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson's book 'The Whole Brain Child', and it's a really simple way to help kids to think about what's going on inside their head. I've taken this analogy one step further by talking about who lives in the house. I tell them stories about the characters who live upstairs, and the ones who live downstairs. Really, what I'm talking about are the functions of the neocortex (our thinking brain - the upstairs), and the limbic system (our feeling brain - the downstairs).

Who lives upstairs and who lives downstairs.

Typically, the upstairs characters are thinkers, problem solvers, planners, emotion regulators, creatives, flexible and empathic types. I give them names like Calming Carl, Problem Solving Pete, Creative Craig and Flexible Felix

The downstairs folk are the feelers. They are very focused on keeping us safe and making sure our needs are met. Our instinct for survival originates here. These characters look out for danger, sound the alarm and make sure we are ready to fight, run or hide when we are faced with a threat. Downstairs we've got characters like Alerting Allie, Frightened Fred, and Big Boss Bootsy.

It doesn't really matter what you call them, as long as you and your child know who (and what) you are talking about. You could have a go at coming up with your own names: try boys/girls names, animal names, cartoon names or completely make-up names. You might like to find characters from films or books they love, to find your unique shared language for these brain functions.

Flipping our lids: When 'downstairs' takes over.

Our brains work best when the upstairs and the downstairs work together. Imagine that the stairs connecting upstairs and downstairs are very busy with characters carrying messages up and down to each other. This is what helps us make good choices, make friends and get along with other people, come up with exciting games to play, calm ourselves down and get ourselves out of sticky situations.

Sometimes, in the downstairs brain, Alerting Allie spots some danger, Frightened Fred panics and before we know where we are, Big Boss Bootsy has sounded the alarm telling your body to be prepared for danger. Big Boss Bootsy is a bossy fellow, and he shouts 'the downstairs brain is taking over now. Upstairs gang can work properly again when we are out of danger'. The downstairs brain "flips the lid" (to borrow Dan Siegel's phrase) on the upstairs brain. This means that the stairs that normally allow the upstairs and downstairs to work together are no longer connected.

Sometimes, flipping our lids is the safest thing to do.

When everybody in the brain house is making noise, it's hard for anyone to be heard. Bootsy is keeping the upstairs brain quiet so the downstairs folk can get our body ready for the danger. Boots can signal other parts of our body that need to switch on (or off). He can make our heart beat faster so we are ready to run very fast, or our muscles ready to fight as hard as we can. He can also tell parts of our body to stay very very still so we can hide from the danger. Bootsy is doing this to keep us safe.

Try asking your child to imagine when these reactions would be safest. I often try to use examples that wouldn't actually happen (again so that children can imagine these ideas in a playful way without becoming too frightened by them). For example, what would your downstairs brain do if you met a dinosaur in the playground?

Everyone flips their lids.

Think of some examples to share with your child about how we can all flip our lids. Choose examples that aren't too stressful because if you make your kids feel too anxious they may flip their lids then and there!

Here's an example I might use: Remember when Mummy couldn't find the car keys and we were already late for school. Remember how I kept looking in the same place over and over again. That's because the downstairs brain had taken over, I had flipped my lid and the upstairs, thinking part of my brain, wasn't working properly.

When the downstairs brain gets it wrong.

There might be times when we flips our lids but really we still need the upstairs gang like Problem Solving Pete, and Calming Carl to help us.

We all flip our lids, but often children flip their lids more than adults. In children's brains, Big Boss Bootsy can get a bit over excited and press the panic button to trigger meltdowns and tantrums over very small things and that's because the upstairs part of your child's brain is still being built. In fact, it won't be finished being built until the mid twenties. Sometimes, when I want to emphasise this point, I ask kids this question:

Have you ever seen your Dad or Mum lay on the floor in the supermarket screaming that they want chocolate buttons?

They often giggle, and giggling is good because it means it's still playful, so they are still engaged and learning. I tell them parents actually like chocolate just as much as children, but adults have practiced getting Calming Carl and Problem Solving Pete to work with Big Boss Bootsy and can (sometimes) stop him from sounding the danger alarm when he doesn't need to. It does take practice and I remind children that their brains are still building and learning from experience.

From a shared language to emotional regulation

Once you've got all the characters in the brain house, you have a shared language that you can use to help your child learn how to regulate (manage) their emotions. For example, 'it looks like Big Boss Bootsy might be getting ready to sound the alarm, how about seeing if Calming Carl can send a message saying 'take some deep breaths' '' .

The language of the brain house also allows kids to talk more freely about their own mistakes, it's non judgemental, playful and can be talked about as being separate (psychologists also call this 'externalised') from them. Imagine how hard it might be to say 'I hit Jenny today at school' versus 'Big Boss Bootsy really flipped the lid today'. When I say this to parents, some worry that I'm giving children a 'get out clause' - 'can't they just blame Bootsy for their misbehaviour?'. Ultimately what this is about is enabling children to learn functional ways to manage big feelings, and some of that will happen from conversations about the things that went wrong. If children feel able to talk about their mistakes with you, then you have an opportunity to join your upstairs brain folk with theirs, and problem solve together. It doesn't mean they escape consequences or shirk responsibility. It means you can ask questions like 'do you think there is anything you could do to help Bootsy keep the lid on?'.

Knowing about the brain house also helps parents to think about how to respond when their child is flooded with fear, anger or sadness. Have you ever told you child to 'calm down' when they have flipped their lid? I have. Yet what we know about the brain house is Calming Carl lives upstairs and when Bootsy's flipped the lid, Calming Carl can't do much to help until the lid is back on. Your child may have gone beyond the point where they can help themselves to calm down. Sometimes, parents (teachers or carers) have to help kids to get their lids back on, and we can do this with empathy, patience and often taking a great deal of deep breaths ourselves!

Where to go from here?

Don't expect to move all the characters into the brain house and unpack on the same day; moving house takes time, and so does learning about brains. Start the conversation and revisit it. You might want to find creative ways to explore the brain house with your child. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. draw the brain house and all the characters

2. draw a picture of what it looks like in the house when the downstairs flips their lid

3. find a comic, cut out and stick characters into the downstairs and the upstairs

4. write stories about the adventures of the characters in the brain house

5. use a doll's house (or if you don't have a dolls house, two shoe boxes, one on top of the other works just as well) and fill it with the downstairs and upstairs characters.

If you find other creative ways to explore the brain house, I would love to hear about them. Make it fun, make it lively and kids won't even realise they are learning the foundations of emotional intelligence.

About the Author: Dr Hazel Harrison

Dr Hazel Harrison works as a clinical psychologist in the United Kingdom. She founded ThinkAvellana to bring psychology out of the clinic and into everyday life. Her website is www.thinkavellana.com and you can also follow her on Twitter at @thinkavellana and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thinkavellana

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How to Teach Kids About the Brain: Laying Strong Foundations for Emotional Intelligence (by Dr Hazel Harrison) - Hey Sigmund

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When children understand what's happening in the brain, it can be the first step to having the power to make choices and build their emotional intelligence.

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As your students move through adolescence, their brains are going through a dynamic change from chaos to clarity. These developmental changes have profound implications for how you'll be able to guide students during these transformative years.

Brain Remodeling: Chaos to Clarity

The brain first goes through a rapid maturation phase in the months before and after birth, and a second maturation phase throughout later childhood and adolescence. During this second phase of increased brain growth, the prefrontal cortex is the site of the brain's most active reorganization and growth. Before building your understanding of what is taking place in the prefrontal cortex during its adolescent growth spurt, let's explore what is housed in this late-developing part of the brain.

The prefrontal cortex is where the highest cognitive and emotional control networks are being constructed, especially during the school years. These networks are what neurologists call executive functions.

The networks of the executive functions direct the complex mental processes that you see emerging as students grow. Executive functions can be thought of as the skills that would make a corporate executive successful, abilities that allow them to:

Organize

Prioritize

Communicate effectively

Accurately interpret validity and value of information

Make long-range plans to achieve goals

Assess risk

Solve problems creatively

Innovate

These networks do not reach full effectiveness until early adulthood. When well nurtured by use, executive functions ultimately guide the brain's abilities to:

Manage emotional stability

Control impulses

Plan

Respond productively to corrective feedback

Learn from mistakes

Remain resilient to setbacks

Reflect thoughtfully before making decisions and choices.

Early adolescence (ages 10-12) is a good time to build students' skills of organizing and prioritizing information and time management. The opportunities you provide to guide them in using these executive functions also provide the activation to strengthen these networks when they are at peak neuroplastic responsiveness. As a result of this strengthening, your students will build more skills en route to becoming self-directed learners.

Helping Students Organize Themselves

Successful organization is needed for preparing and completing most activities related to school. The development of this executive function becomes even more critical as the responsibilities and requirements of school and extracurricular activities increase each year. Using strategies that increase student awareness of these skills and providing guided opportunities to use them will help adolescents build the brainpower that they need.

Start by promoting student awareness of their existing organizing skills. Ask questions such as:

How do you sort your music on playlists?

How do you organize your files on your computer?

Also, ask questions about familiar things that are already organized systematically, such as:

How is the content of this book organized into chapters?

What organization do you see in the periodic table of elements or in dividing plants and animals into classifications such as kingdoms, genus, and species?

Other Strategies

1. Teacher Modeling and Discussion

Model your systems of organization (filing, recording progress, how you set up the classroom, etc.). Draw students' attention to the organizational strategies that you use during instruction.

2. Clear Instructions

Initially, when providing organizational strategies, emphasize them both verbally and in writing. Give students clear instructions for procedures, projects, or class transitions as you model organizational structure.

3. Student Modeling

Assign selected students to model the procedures that you've described, such as the right way and the wrong way to organize their class groups during collaborative work time.

4. Checking for Understanding

Stop between segments of complex or multi-step instructions, allowing students to organize their thoughts and ask questions. Ask students to repeat back their understanding of the instructions so that they can respond to your feedback and reorganize appropriately.

5. Gradual Release of Responsibility

Throughout the year, plan a gradual decrease in the scaffolding that you provide for student organization of time and goals. For example, back away from giving them your timeline schedule for parts of a book report or project, let them plan and write their own timelines, and revise these as you help them monitor their progress.

6. Feedback

Observe student progress and setbacks and provide feedback with opportunities for them to revise their organizational systems.

The Case for Investing in Executive Functions

As the caretaker of your students' brains during the years of rapid prefrontal cortex development, the opportunities that you provide for them to use these critical neural networks are precious gifts. The tools and skills that you help them build will empower them to achieve their highest potential now, and will increase their satisfaction and success as they inherit the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.

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This piece was originally published on

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Teaching teenagers to organise themselves

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As your students move through adolescence, their brains are going through a dynamic change from chaos to clarity. These developmental changes have profound implications for how you'll be able to guide students during these transformative years. The brain first goes through a rapid maturation phase in the months before and after birth, and a second maturation phase throughout later childhood and adolescence.

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Plato's advice against force-feeding in education

A few thousand years ago, in 360 B.C., Plato advised against force-feeding facts to students.

"Elements of instruction...should be presented to the mind in childhood; not, however, under any notion of forcing education. A freeman ought not to be a slave in the acquisition of knowledge of any kind. Bodily exercise, when compulsory, does no harm to the body; but knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind."

We now have science of learning research to support these recommendations to avoid forced instruction and provide children with the best environment and experiences for joyful learning. We have come to literally see how stress and curiosity edits which sensory information is given entry to our neural networks and where the input ends up.

Social, emotional, hormonal, and nutritional influences are overtaking the attribution of intelligence to primarily genetic factors. Neuroplasticity research reveals that intelligence can be changed and guides us to educational and parenting strategies promote positive changes.

In this post, combining my background as a neurologist and classroom teacher, I'll share my strategies to help parents and teachers get information "admitted" through the brain's attention system.

RAS: the gatekeeper of attention in the brain

Getting into the brain is like getting into an exclusive nightclub where only the glamorous few are selected. Once inside, another gatekeeper, stress, determines what makes the cut to enter the upper VIP lounge in the prefrontal cortex-that valuable 13% of cerebral architecture where our highest cognition and emotional reflection takes place.

The brain evolved to promote the survival of the animal and the species. That means giving priority to potential threat. Every second, of the millions of bits of sensory information from the eyes, ears, internal organs, skin, muscles, taste and smell receptors that are at the entry gate, only a few thousand make the cut. The system that determines what gets in-what the brain attends to-is the Reticular Activating System, or RAS. This primitive network of cells in the lower brainstem, through which all sensory input must pass to reach any higher regions of the brain, is essentially the same in your dog, cat, child, and you.

The RAS favours intake of sights, sounds, smells, and tactile sensations that are most critical to survival of the animal and species. Priority goes to changes in an animal or human's environment, particularly to change appraised as threatening. When threat is perceived, the RAS automatically selects related sensory input and directs it to the lower brain where the involuntary response is not to think, but to react-fight, flight, or freeze.

The RAS is a virtual editor that grants attention and admission to a small fraction of all the sights, sounds, and tactile sensations available at any moment. This survival-directed filter is critical for animals in the wild, but as it has not changed significantly as man evolved, and the implications for the classroom or with children in the home are significant.

When under threat, the brain prioritises survival

When children's brains perceive threat (e.g. punishment or embarrassment in front of classmates for not doing homework, fear that they will be picked last for a team game, or anxiety that they will make an obvious error because they are not fluent in English) the RAS lets in only what is perceived as relevant to the threat. Unless the perception of threat is reduced, the brain persists in doing its primary job-protecting the human or animal from harm. The neural activity on scans during fear, sadness, anger or other stressful emotions is evident in the lower brain. In this stressed state "attention" is not under our control and the brain activity on scans drops way down in the prefrontal cortex. That higher, reflective, cognitive region of the brain does not receive the sensory input determined irrelevant to survival. The day's lesson does fall on deaf ears.

When students are criticised for not paying attention to the lesson it doesn't mean they are inattentive. Their RAS is paying attention to (letting in) sensory input, just not the sensory input their teachers think is important.

One of the great gifts of neuroimaging research is information about which sensory input gets through the RAS when threat is not perceived. When not under high stress alert, the RAS is particularly receptive to novelty and change that arouse curiosity. That is the key to the gate-the brain seeks input about the new, the unexpected, the colourful, musical, moving, aromatic sensations that are available when perceived or imagined threat is not blocking the way. When students are curious about something, they seek an explanation. This motivates them to persevere in seeking the information they now want to learn-what they need to be taught.

Curiosity in the classroom - what teachers can do

Knowing about the RAS means we can promote classroom communities where students feel safe, where they can count on the adults in charge to enforce the rules that protect their bodies, property and feelings from classmates whom they perceive as threats. Our increasing knowledge of what gains access through the RAS, once threat is reduced, offers clues to strategies that promote attentive focus to lessons in school and at home.

You can build novelty into teaching new information. Changes in voice, appearance, marking key points in color, variation in font size, hats, movement, lessons outdoors, music, curious photos, unexpected objects get the RAS attentive to admit the accompanying sensory input of lessons that relates to the curious sensory input!

Advertising a coming unit with curiosity-provoking posters or adding clues or puzzle pieces each day invests curiosity as children predict what lesson might be coming and the RAS is primed to "select" the sensory input of that lesson when it is revealed. Playing a song when students enter the room can also promote curiosity and hence focus, if they know that there will be a link between some words in the song and something in the lesson. If a teacher, or parent helping with homework, walks backwards before a lesson about negative numbers, the RAS is primed by curiosity to follow along when a number line is unrolled on the floor to start instruction about negative numbers. Even a suspenseful pause in your speech before saying something particularly important builds anticipation as the students wonder what you will say or do next.

To further alert the RAS, increase curiosity, and the subsequent memory of the information (learning) that explains the curious phenomenon, have children make predictions. The predictions can be written down, shared with a partner, or held up on individual white boards at any point during a lesson. Don't break the participation or curiosity confirming or denying a prediction. Instead, maintain the interest by responding with a nod of acknowledgment or a "thank you" so the other students will continue to predict. The brain learns based on a system of predictions and feedback as neuroplasticity strengthens neural networks used to make correct predictions and it corrects memory networks used to make incorrect predictions-this is why timely corrective feedback is important so those faulty circuits can be replaced with accurate information.

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A version of this article has appeared on Pyschology Today.

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Want children to pay attention? Stimulate their curiosity

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A few thousand years ago, in 360 B.C., Plato advised against force-feeding facts to students. "Elements of instruction...should be presented to the mind in childhood; not, however, under any notion of forcing education. A freeman ought not to be a slave in the acquisition of knowledge of any kind.

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Your Guide to Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

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Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is designed to help people who suffer repeated bouts of depression and chronic unhappiness. It combines the ideas of cognitive therapy with meditative practices and attitudes based on the cultivation of mindfulness.

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Question: What do we know about the amygdala?

Joseph LeDoux: Well the amygdala is a small region of the brain. It's in what's called the temporal lobe of the brain. If we divide the cerebral hemispheres of the four major lobes, occipital, temporal, parietal, frontal, it's in the temporal lobe which is under the temporal bone, which is behind your ear.

And the amygdala would be located at a point where a line that goes through your eye and through your ear intersect in your brain. So imagine like someone has shot an arrow through your eye and another one through your ear, where those two come together would be roughly where it is. And on both sides of the brain, of course, because most structures, in fact, all structures are bilateral in that sense.

So its sometimes referred to as an almond or an almond-shaped structure, which is a bit of a misnomer because there's one part of it that's almond shaped and that caught the attention of early anatomists, and so they named this almond shaped structure the amygdala, but as the amygdala began to be defined more broadly, in includes a lot of structures other than that little almond-shaped piece.

It's most commonly associated with fear, although that's not its only function, it's its most heavily studied function. And the reason for that is that it's much easier to study fear than other emotions. Things that are bad have more weight than things that are good in a sense. You can put off eating, drinking, sex, whatever for an indefinite amount of time, but you have to respond to danger immediately. You know, you don't find great novels about happy subjects, it's always about the bad stuff and it's sometimes said that there's this negative bias in emotion, which his that most research on emotion is about the negative stuff. But the fact is that negative stuff turns out to be the most important for survival, in a sense, in terms of immediacy in having to respond to that.
To what other structures is the amygdala connected?

Joseph LeDoux: So some of the key interconnections of the amygdala-and these connections actually define what it does in a sense, at least with respect to fear-the amygdala gets sensory information directly from the various sensory systems that process the external world. So the visual system, the auditory system, olfactory, touch, pain, and so forth. All of these kind of come together, or converge, in the amygdala. And then the amygdala on the output side with all the systems involved in the emotional reactivity. So, when you encounter sudden danger, you might freeze, your blood pressure and heart rate begin to rise, stress hormones are released, all of these things happen as a result of outputs of the amygdala.

So the amygdala you can think of as this circle with one input coming in being the... or the input coming in being a sensory, flow of sensory information from the external world, then outputs being connections to systems involved in controlling the responses. But we have to expand those inputs, so it's not just getting one sensory input, but all sensory inputs. So each sensory system is coming in. And it doesn't stop there because in addition to getting information from sensory systems, it also gets information from higher-order systems, like the prefrontal cortex and higher-order association areas involved in various kinds of integrative activities in the cortex.
What role does the amygdala play in learning adaptive behaviors?

Joseph LeDoux: What it does is a function of what connections it has. So because it has connections with all of these sensory systems, it can take in information from the environment of a variety of types, and use that information. And so if, you know, if a sound in the external world occurs right before something painful happens, you associate that sound with the painful event and then that sound will then later trigger a protective defense response. But if the sound occurs just before food, when you're hungry, then the sound will be associated with that kind of a positive or a repetitive event.

And so, what the amygdala is doing is forming associations between random or neutral external stimuli and the kinds of reinforcing events that will stamp in those experiences in a stronger way. So its creating these what's called Pavlovian associations; you know, stimulus one plus stimulus two, if one of those is a biologically significant stimulus, then the other one will require some kind of biological significance itself whether it's positive or negative.

Now that information can then be used and this is sort of what I think you referred to in terms of adaptive behavior. So that CS/US relationship or say, sound/food relationship can then be used to guide instrumental behavior, which is goal-directed behavior. So if in the past you obtained food at a certain location, the stimuli that are proximal to that location serve as conditions stimuli and you know, are reinforcing to you because they're close to the actual goal and they take you towards the goal. The same thing happens with reversive stimuli, it's just that it works in the opposite way.
Recorded on September 16, 2010
Interviewed by Max Miller

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Question: What do we know about the amygdala? Joseph LeDoux: Well the amygdala is a small region of the brain. It's in what's called the temporal lobe of the brain. If we divide the cerebral hemispheres of the four major lobes, occipital, temporal, parietal, frontal, it's in the temporal lobe which is under the temporal bone, which is behind your ear.

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Celebrate the space you have found after completing our program by reflecting on how your new behaviour makes you feel. If you want to go further, restart the program but set yourself tougher goals, as you find your ultimate phone life balance. Then enjoy the freedom of putting down your phone and reconnecting with the real world.